If only all the choices on the ballot could be this difficult

For those of us who find state politics compelling and significant, the four-way race for an open Nevada Supreme Court race was downright thrilling as the numbers trickled in Tuesday and the lineup of winners and losers flipped and flopped.

In the first results out of Clark County, Las Vegas attorney Nancy Allf was leading, and former District Court Judge Don Chairez had second. Coming in third and fourth were Las Vegas attorney Kris Pickering and Washoe County Family Court Judge Deborah Schumacher.

Alas, poor Yorick (Can you tell I just got back from the Utah Shakespeare Festival?), those numbers were Clark County only. As the 17 counties reported in, the four candidates vying to succeed Justice Bill Maupin kept sliding up and down the ladder from contender to loser.

When the statewide count finished, Pickering and Schumacher advanced to the November election while Allf and Chairez were eliminated. Pickering was tops with 25 percent of the vote, Schumacher was 3,091 votes behind with 24 percent and Allf and Chairez bit the dust with 22 percent each.

For those of us who believe the job is one of the state's most important because of its effect on you, it was as exciting as the Olympics, minus the jingoism. Don't forget, the high court decided who would even be on the ballot this year with its term limits ruling.

While conventional wisdom is that money wins races, money alone didn't prevail.

Pickering spent the most, almost $533,000, but Schumacher spent the least -- $132,000 -- edging out Allf, who spent nearly $490,000 and Chairez, who spent $175,000, according to the first reports.

Pickering, 55, could afford a strong television presence north and south and Schumacher, 53, could not afford television ads. So she focused on fliers targeting inveterate voters and new residents, and some radio.

But now Schumacher recognizes that has to change in order for her to become known in Clark County.

"Clearly significant media is needed," Schumacher said. One disadvantage she faces: "I don't have the level of personal wealth she (Pickering) has."

Pickering has her own successful law practice and is married to Las Vegas attorney Steve Morris. Pickering called the question of who has personal wealth "a false issue. The issue in my mind is getting clearly across that a person should have prepared and presented a case to the Supreme Court before asking to join that court."

Schumacher told me back in May that she would be one of the two contenders to make it out of the primary by campaigning as the only sitting judge, one with high ratings, and the only one living in Northern Nevada.

Pickering also did what she vowed. She presented herself as "one of the smartest, toughest lawyers in Nevada" with 28 years experience as a lawyer and broad experience in complex cases. And Pickering undercut Schumacher's "only Northern Nevadan" claim with television ads focusing on her growing up in Reno and practicing law there for 10 years. Rural Nevadans learned she owns a ranch near Belmont, a plus in the cow counties. Her ads diminished the chance this race now turns into a north-south split.

Neither candidate focused on what some voters want to know -- party registration -- even though it's a nonpartisan race. The most partisan voters will align with a candidate based on party affiliation. Schumacher is a Democrat. Pickering is a Republican and her slogan is "The Right Justice For All Nevada." Right. Get it?

Now the race is down to the final two, it might get more media attention, yet the race is expected to remain civil. With a large turnout expected because of the presidential race, Pickering's consultant Ryan Erwin said, "Ultimately, it comes down to who delivers the best message to the right voters." (There's that right thing again!)

Swing voters will have to choose: Is it better to have a sharp lawyer who has practiced before the high court? Or is it better to have a highly rated family court judge with 11 years on the bench and 14 years as a business litigator?

Voters should be so lucky to have choices this strong in the rest of the November races.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275.