Sandoval expected to be formidable candidate in bid for Nevada governor

Three political sources told me Friday U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval wasn't as interested in challenging U.S. Sen. Harry Reid as he was in running for governor -- putting him at loggerheads with Reid's oldest son, Rory.

Previous reports that Sandoval, a Republican, was interested in the U.S. Senate were no longer accurate. Sandoval's eye was on the Governor's Mansion in Carson City.

But Sandoval wouldn't call me back this week. Federal canons of ethics put the kibosh on talking about running for office while you're a federal judge. Nobody wants to start a political campaign facing judicial ethics complaints.

Friday afternoon, that changed. Oh, he's still not calling me back.

But he resigned his coveted federal judgeship, the lifetime appointment from President George W. Bush he received in 2005, courtesy of a recommendation from Sen. Reid, who arranged for the federal judgeship as one way to move a compelling Hispanic Republican candidate out of the way. A brilliant strategy, if only it had worked.

Sandoval's back on the political scene and he's formidable.

While it won't be official until after his resignation takes effect Sept. 15, Sandoval will be running for governor. Take that to the bank.

He joins a field of GOP contenders eager to unseat Gov. Jim Gibbons. The other announced candidates are former North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon and former state Sen. Joe Heck. Neither has the political stature of Sandoval, Nevada's first Hispanic federal judge who has been attorney general, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission and an assemblyman.

(I see the hit pieces now: Sandoval's a quitter. He quit the attorney general's job for a federal judgeship. He quit the federal bench to run for governor. Do you want a quitter like Sarah Palin as your next governor?)

Roger Hunt, the chief judge in Nevada's U.S. District Court, said Sandoval rendered great service to the court in the nearly four years he'd been there. "His work ethic, his dedication to service, and his demeanor in all he does will be sorely missed."

Hunt was on point. Sandoval's work ethic and professional demeanor are among his strongest attributes. He was a deft campaigner when he ran for the attorney general's job in 2002 against John Hunt, trouncing the Democrat by a whopping 24 percentage points, an unexpectedly large victory.

He presented himself well and wasn't afraid to fight back. He was well prepared and articulate about issues. And he is likable. Die-hard Democrats describe him that way as well as Republicans.

He and his wife Kathleen, a speech therapist, live in Reno with their children and there's never been a hint of scandal.

Since Sandoval hasn't been on the ballot since 2002, and as a federal judge in Reno he's not had much of a profile in Southern Nevada, he's going to have to reintroduce himself to Clark County voters who may already have strong feelings, one way or another, about County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination.

But it wasn't just Reid-the-commissioner's race that was reformatted this week. Reid- the-senator's race was also reshaped.

First, Rep. Dean Heller made the senator's day by announcing Tuesday he won't run against Reid.

Meanwhile, the senator took his first slap at one of his potential challengers -- Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden.

The senator showed his shoot-from-the-hip-and-don't-worry-if-it's-accurate side to columnist Jill Lawrence of Politics Daily, who asked him about Lowden's poll, which said she'd beat him by 6 percentage points if she ran.

Reid answered, "I like Sue Lowden. Her husband and I are close friends. She couldn't get elected to the state Senate. She was against mammograms for women."

Not truthful.

Lowden was elected to the state Senate in 1992 in a heavily Democratic district. She ran again in 1996 but lost when the Culinary union used its muscle against her, because she and her husband, Paul Lowden, operated nonunion hotels.

As for her being "against mammograms for women" that was also an issue in 1996. Lowden voted against mandating insurance companies to cover mammograms for women, saying the cost would be too high.

But charging "she was against mammograms for women" isn't honest.

The senator should at least wait until she's an announced candidate to start distorting her record. That's just good manners.

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