Currently, Clark County is choking in traffic, choking in crime and…well, choking on the air. Not surprisingly, the county commission is, and has been for many years, dominated by Democrats, many of whom are currently wearing pinstripes and looking at life through iron bars.
At present time there are only two Republicans serving on the Clark County Commission, inarguably the most powerful government in the state, including the state government itself.
However, one of those Republicans, Chip Maxfield, decided not to seek re-election and the likely Republican candidate to replace him, Assemblywoman Valerie Weber, is very, very weak and her Democrat opponent, Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown, is very, very strong. It would take a miracle - and we’re not talking about the white horse in Mel Brooks’ “History of the World - Part I” - for the GOP to hold onto this seat.
The other Republican is Bruce Woodbury. However, the Nevada Supreme Court, in a supremely convoluted decision, declared Commissioner Woodbury ineligible as a candidate this year thanks to a decision by voters in 1994 and 1996 to enact an artificial 12-year term limits law. That means the likely GOP candidate to win the Republican primary in this district now is Brian Scroggins - who has nowhere near the money or community support to prevail against the likely Democrat candidate, University Regent Steve Sisolak.
However…
Because the Supreme Court waited so long to issue it’s split-the-baby decision on term limits, Commissioner Woodbury’s name will still appear on the primary ballot. And according to Secretary of State Ross Miller, appearing on Dave Bern’s “State of Nevada” radio program on Monday, if Woodbury should somehow still win the primary and yet be ineligible to appear on the general election ballot, the Clark County Republican Party would get to name a replacement candidate for Woodbury for the general election.
Now…if Democrats were faced with this decision, they would, without thought or hesitation, choose a stronger general election candidate rather than tap the weaker second-place finisher no matter how “unfair” that might seem. You see, the Democrats play hardball while Republicans usually play tiddly-winks. And Republicans will drive themselves nuts over whether or not to jettison Scroggins for a stronger candidate. But if they have half a brain, that’s exactly what they would do.
I like Brian and commend him for years of service as a party leader and grassroots activist. But the fact is, if given a choice he would decidedly not be the strongest candidate the GOP could field in November. And truth be told, had Bruce Woodbury not filed for re-election, or if he’d been declared ineligible before filing had closed, several other prominent Republicans with better electoral prospects surely would have thrown their hats in the ring for this seat.
The thing which would be most unfair would be for Republicans to penalize themselves (and Clark County) by embracing a weaker candidate simply because the Supreme Court threw them a curveball after filing was already closed.
Unless Clark County Republicans want a County Commission made up of 100% union-loving, tax-hiking, big-government liberal Democrats, they’d better vote for Bruce Woodbury on August 12, hope he pulls it out, and then the Clark County Republican Central Committee chooses a more competitive candidate to face Sisolak in November.
Posted on July 30th, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
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