Bill Raggio ousted as Senate minority leader

CARSON CITY -- Republican icon Bill Raggio was ousted Thursday as the state Senate's minority leader, a casualty of Nevada voters' conservative swing.

Raggio, 84, a moderate who backed tax increases in 2003 and 2009 and supported Democrat Harry Reid over Republican Sharron Angle in the U.S. Senate race, had been the Republican leader in the Senate since 1982.

Senate Republicans instead chose veteran Sen. Mike McGinness, 63, of Eureka, who was critical of Raggio last month after the Reno senator announced his support for Reid. Reid was re-elected Tuesday.

Even Reid weighed in on the Republican caucus' decision, saying members did not get the anti-extremism message of their constituents who voted to defeat Angle.

Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval, however, said he respected the decision of the caucus and has "great admiration" for Raggio.

McGinness, 63, attributed his victory to the more conservative makeup of the Republicans in the Senate.

"We have new folks who are more conservative," he said. "The Republican Party in general is more conservative. It is reflected in our caucus."

Republicans Elizabeth Halseth and Michael Roberson, both of Las Vegas, Joe Hardy of Boulder City, James Settelmeyer of Gardnerville, Don Gustavson of Sparks and Ben Kieckhefer of Reno won Senate seats Tuesday.

Raggio put on a positive front after his ouster.

"Don't feel sorry for me," said Raggio, who also asked McGinness not to reappoint him to the Senate Finance Committee, which reviews state spending.

Raggio withdrew his name from consideration for minority leader when it became clear he did not have the votes. He then voted to make McGinness' appointment unanimous.

"I don't want a splintered caucus," Raggio said. "He (McGinness) is very capable. We have different styles. It is important they have a free hand on how they approach the budget. I don't want to be an impediment. But I am always going to say what I think."

McGinness said in early October that Raggio "should have not said anything" rather than making the announcement that he supported Reid.

Raggio issued a statement Oct. 7 that there were "personal issues" that prevented him from supporting Angle.

He noted that Angle never asked for his support, or even talked to him again after he beat her in the 2008 Republican primary in Reno to hold his Senate seat.

"After losing to me in a primary, during which she ran a very negative campaign and distorted my record, (she) referred to me as a RINO (Republican In Name Only), I never heard one word from her, or a concession, or an offer of support. Instead she lent aid and comfort to an effort to recall me as state senator."

He said Angle had been "totally ineffective" in four terms as an Assembly member and possessed an "inability or unwillingness to work with others, even within her own party."

Over the years, Raggio always has been a pragmatic politician, willing to compromise and work cooperatively with Democrats and Republicans, including Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn and Democratic Gov. Bob Miller. His relationship with conservative Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons has been rockier.

But he also upset some Republicans who wanted to advance their careers by his refusal to give up the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee, while also serving as majority or minority leader. Both are near full-time jobs.

The Assembly's leader never serves both as speaker and chair of the Ways and Means Committee, that house's money committee.

Raggio's pragmatic philosophy has changed little since he became a senator 38 years ago. Republicans and Democrats generally were not much different back then, with many on both sides taking moderate positions.

But the state Senate today is far more different than the one Raggio led just six years ago. In 2003, the Republican-dominated Senate voted 17-2 for a record $830 million tax increase, with Raggio, McGinness and most Senate Republicans, along with Guinn, backing the higher taxes.

On Thursday, Raggio said the Republican caucus has been affected by Angle's campaign and the Tea Party, the nationwide conservative anti-tax, anti-big government movement that has been given some credit for helping Republicans pick up U.S. Senate seats and take control of the House of Representatives.

"Unfortunately, not everything they say is a good idea" Raggio said. "You need people with differing views. In the future, they need to unify the party. I am trying to avoid splintering the party."

Reid quickly came to Raggio's defense after learning he no longer was Senate Republican leader.

"In this election Nevadans, Republicans, Democrats and Independents voted to reject extremism. That some of Senator Raggio's Republican colleagues even considered punishing him for being on the side of a majority of Nevadans shows that they clearly missed that message and are not listening to their constituents," Reid said in a statement.

"Senator Raggio has served in the state Senate longer than any of his colleagues and he has been long respected by Republicans and Democrats alike," he said.

Raggio has been a state senator for 38 years, longer than anyone in state history. He also served a record 20 years as Senate majority leader.

Sandoval was more conciliatory.

"I have spoken with Senator McGinness and his colleagues and look forward to working with him during the session," he said. "I have great admiration for Senator Raggio, and I thank him for his years of service as leader. I know the benefit of his years of experience will be helpful moving forward." 

McGinness said he wants Raggio to reconsider his decision to leave the Finance Committee, saying, "He knows more about the budget than anyone."

But McGinness is clearly different than Raggio when it comes to state spending and taxes.

Raggio has been saying that tax increases are inevitable because state budgets already have been cut to the bone, but McGinness said it would be wrong to increase taxes in 2011.

"I have never signed a no-new-taxes pledge, but I have been opposed to taxes. This is not the time to raise taxes with the economy the way it is and businesses suffering," he said.

McGinness named Sen. Barbara Cegavske of Las Vegas, one of the most conservative legislators, as assistant minority leader, and Settelmeyer as minority whip.

McGinness said he wants the caucus to work to implement the agenda of Sandoval, who also is a Republican. The new governor is expected to try to balance the budget on existing revenues, about $5.2 billion over the next two years, which would be about a 20 percent cut from current spending.

A radio station manager in Fallon, McGinness has been in the Legislature since 1988. He spent four years in the Assembly before winning election to the Senate in 1992.

Under the term-limits constitutional amendment, he will be prevented from running for another term in 2012. That means he can be the minority leader only for two years.

As a senator, McGinness frequently served as chairman or ranking Republican on the Taxation Committee.

He voted for the bill that increased taxes by more than $830 million in 2003, but broke ranks with Raggio in 2009 and opposed legislation that increased taxes by $800 million.

McGinness last year also supported -- while Raggio opposed -- the bill that allows gay and straight couples to enter into domestic partnerships.

His son, Ryan, is director of the state's business office in Washington, D.C.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@ reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.