Nine incumbents unopposed for Assembly posts

CARSON CITY -- Challenging incumbent legislators, particularly in districts where their party has decided registration advantage, clearly was not popular this year in Nevada.

In all, nine Assembly members -- five Republicans and four Democrats -- became winners at 5 p.m. Friday when no opponents filed to challenge their bids for re-election.

In Clark County, these uncontested winners were Democrats Marilyn Kirkpatrick in District 1, Harvey Munford in District 6, Olivia Diaz in District 11 and Richard Carrillo in District 18, as well as Republican John Hambrick in District 2.

Assembly Democrat Caucus leader Marcus Conklin said he is not sure why so many seats went uncontested, but he suspects potential candidates were not sure about their chances because of redistricting. Finding quality candidates has been tough, he added, and Democrats did not field candidates in some largely rural Republican districts.

"At the end of the day we were looking for quality candidates in every race that made sense to us," Conklin said.

Assembly Republican Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno, had much the same view.

"Down south there were districts with very large Democrat majorities after redistricting, and candidates did not step forward," he said. "We didn't try to field candidates just for the sake of fielding candidates."

Technically uncontested candidates don't win until after the November election, but all they have to do is vote for themselves. Even more promising for their political parties is they won't have to gather campaign contributions. Party leaders can work to raise money to send into the most crucial contested races.

That is important in a year when the Senate Republicans are trying to recapture the upper house after four years of Democratic dominance. Democrats have a 11-10 lead, and Senate Republican Caucus leader Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, wants to regain the majority.

Democratic Senate leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, hopes to take enough Republican seats to give his party a veto-proof 14-7 majority. Denis was the only candidate two years ago to win without opposition.

Hickey isn't as hopeful as Roberson about gaining a majority because Democrats have a 26-16 lead in the Assembly. But he thinks they can pick up seats, including a significant one in Assembly District 37 in Clark County. That seat for the past 10 years has been won by Conklin, who probably will become Assembly speaker in 2013 if he can win again.

Hickey thinks he has the dream candidate to beat Conklin in former Air Force lawyer Wesley Duncan. Redistricting left Democrats with less than a 500 registered-voter advantage there.

Conklin said he thanks Duncan for his service to his county, but he expects to win.

"This is about voters and their concerns and what they would like to see," he said. "Having a tough race potentially will give me an opportunity to reconnect with the public."

Other Assembly incumbents who will win without opposition are Republicans Hickey in District 25, Ira Hansen of Sparks in District 32, John Ellison of Elko in District 33, and Tom Grady, of Yerington, in District 38.

Contact reporter Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.