March hopes to move from council to mayor in Henderson election
After serving more than 30 years on the Henderson City Council, term-limited Mayor Andy Hafen is passing the torch.
Sitting councilwoman Debra March has been eyeing the position more than a year.
March was appointed to City Council in 2009 and re-elected in 2011 and 2015. She served as mayor pro tem from July 2015 to June 2016 and is focusing her campaign on continual economic development.
Six other — mostly familiar — names are also on the ballot, including longtime city worker Rick Workman and Crystal Hendrickson, a regular attendee of City Council meetings. Both advocate for transparency in local government.
Meanwhile, in Ward 3, Councilman John Marz is looking to fend off two challengers. Businesswoman and longtime PTA volunteer Carrie Cox and Matthew DeFalco, an Army veteran and outspoken City Council critic, are looking to unseat Marz.
In the race for Henderson’s Municipal Court, Department 3, incumbent Rodney T. Burr was the only one to file for the race. He took over the position left by Judge Diana Hampton, who died last year. Burr is declared elected because there is no opposition.
The primary is April 4. Any candidate who gets more than 50 percent of the vote is declared the winner that day. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters face off in a general election on June 13. Early voting starts Saturday and runs through March 31.
NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Debra March would be the first non-Mormon mayor of Henderson. Robert A. Groesbeck served as the city’s last non-Mormon mayor from 1993-1997, according to city spokesman Keith Paul.
Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter.
RELATED
Early voting beginning for municipal elections in Clark County
HENDERSON MUNICIPAL ELECTION
MAYOR
Debra March
Age: 63
Occupation: Henderson Ward 2 Councilwoman
Education: Bachelor of arts degree, UNLV
Past political experience: Appointed to Henderson City Council in 2009; re-elected in 2011 and 2015; mayor pro tem (July 2015 to June 2016); Henderson Planning Commission (2004 to 2009); vice chair, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada Board of Commissioners, vice chair, Clark County Regional Flood Control District Board of Directors; council liaison.
Priorities if elected: Community Safety; economic development; community engagement/transparency.
Rick Workman
Age: 60
Occupation: Criminalistics bureau administrator/forensic lab director, Henderson Police Department.
Education: Master of aeronautical science, aerospace/aviation management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida; bachelor of science, business management, University of LaVerne, California.
Relevant experience: Manager, crime scene investigation/forensic lab sections for Henderson Police Department (April 2000 to May 2009 and June 2013 to present); developer, crime scene investigation/forensic lab sections for Henderson Police Department (April 2000); officer, U.S. Air Force (April 1985 - Jan. 1994); non-commissioned officer, U.S. Air Force (Oct. 1973 - April 1985).
Priorities if elected: Increase community safety; stop efforts to raise property tax caps while squandering tax dollars; cut costs and reduce waste.
Crystal Hendrickson
Age: 32
Education: Associate of applied science with an emphasis in land surveying, the College of Southern Nevada; associate of science, College of Southern Nevada.
Occupation: Owner, Curb 2 Curb, a parking lot maintenance company.
Relevant experience: Field surveyor, GC Wallace (2005 - 2007); engineering tech, Kadrmas Lee & Jackson (2008); field surveyor and computer-aided design drafter, Absolute Boundary and Control Solutions (2009); engineering tech, Nevada Department of Transportation (2009); office surveyor and computer-aided design drafter, Wallace Morris Kline Surveying (2012 - 2015).
Priorities if elected: Encouraging more low-density housing; restoring faith in city government; making sure CCSD reorganization is successful.
Eddie Hamilton
Age: 74
Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration, Michigan State University.
Occupation: owner, The Las Vegas Fund; real estate investor.
Relevant experience: Designer, trainer and in charge of manufacturing product launch, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Ram truck and Chrysler Town & Country minivan products and U.S. Army Abrams main battle tank (1978-2000); instructor, Cornell University (1964).
Priorities if elected: "Drain-the-Swamp" through ethics reform to assure government transparency and accountability; restore respect for Henderson taxpayers by not hiking our property taxes; put on the ballot, as an advisory question, the "Henderson Strong" urban renewal Master Plan proposal.
Angelo R. Gomez
Age: 19
Education: political science major, UNLV.
Occupation: full-time student, UNLV.
Relevant experience: Board of advisors for Latinos with Trump, UNLV (June 2016-present); intern, Donald Trump Campaign (Oct. 2015-Nov. 2016); turf coordinator, Republican National Committee (summer 2016); intern, Congressman Joe Heck (Sept. 2015); student ambassador for the U.S. in Costa Rica through AFS Intercultural Programs (2014).
Priorities if elected: Infrastructure; community engagement; and community unity.
Anthony S. Csuzi
Age: 26
Education: Diploma, Basic High School; student at Nevada Contractors School.
Occupation: President, Csuzi Construction; medical marijuana consultant, Nevada Wellness Center.
Relevant experience: President, Csuzi Construction.
Priorities if elected: Promote the building of police, fire, and emergency response stations; veto the 6-month marijuana moratorium; promote the hiring of more veterans.
Gerald "Jerry" Sakura
Age: 77
Education: Bachelor's of science, DePauw University in Indiana.
Occupation: Retired international business executive and consultant to Nevada Public Employees Retirement System.
Relevant experience: Consultant to Nevada Public Employees Retirement System (1986-2000).
Priorities if elected: Eliminate the insidious influence of lobbyists; reduce the $5 million dollar overtime bill of the police force and live within our collective financial means; work toward transition to 401k retirement plans from defined benefits for Henderson public employees to reduced unfunded future obligations.
