Monday, March 24, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Hispanic woman set to take helm of state Democratic Party

No other candidates expected to come forward at May 17 Tonopah meeting

Adriana Martinez 2002 state Senate candidate in line to chair state Democratic Party

A Hispanic woman born and raised in Las Vegas is the chairwoman-in-waiting of the Nevada State Democratic Party.

When the party faithful meet May 17 in Tonopah, Adriana Martinez is likely to be elected. No other potential candidates are expected to step forward.

Martinez said her qualifications include her 2002 candidacy for a state Senate seat, her five years as a PTA mom and her close ties to the Hispanic community.

"I want to be a voice for the Hispanics, I would like to be able to create a base for us, at least for starters," she said. "My ultimate goal is to get Senator (Harry) Reid re-elected."

Martinez, a professional photographer, ran for the Senate in District 12 against Republican Warren Hardy, who won with 63 percent of the vote in the heavily Republican district.

"The frustration I had after my race for state Senate is that I felt we needed a little more organization and I vowed I would give it my all to make it easier for others to run," she said. "After the campaign, I gave myself one day to sleep and the next day I was up and running."

Her biggest frustration was a lack of organization among Hispanic groups. Though 2002 was initially touted as the Year of the Hispanic, that prediction fell short come Election Day.

"Within our community, we don't have structure, or a base. We're not active. When I was running, I became more aware of that," Martinez said.

She met Reid, the state's highest ranking Democrat, during her campaign. He was impressed enough to offer to walk precincts with her, an offer she declined.

She and her husband have an 11-year-old daughter. Martinez said she honed her organizational skills in the PTA.

If she's elected chairwoman, her primary job will be to recruit candidates and raise funds.

Reid described Martinez as "a bright, energetic and capable young woman."

Her predecessor, state Sen. Terry Care, resigned his chairmanship before the start of the Legislature so as to avoid any conflicts of interest between representing his party and his constituents.

Care spent much of his term assuring reporters that a strong Democratic candidate to challenge Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn would emerge. That never happened.

Martinez will be in the opposite position, hoping that no strong Republican candidate runs against Reid.

She'll be faced with questions like, "Who are the Democrats putting up against Republican Congressman Jon Porter?"

By the way, who are the Democrats wooing for that seat?

Biographical overreach

Gene Collins, a candidate in the Ward 5 council race, studied a list of accomplishments claimed by Las Vegas Councilman Lawrence Weekly and insisted Weekly was overreaching on a couple of items.

Yet Collins' biography says he "was responsible for passing the law that made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in Nevada."

Actually, Collins' bill died. The bill introduced in 1987 by Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-North Las Vegas, was the bill which passed and made King's birthday a holiday. By that time, Collins was no longer in the Legislature.

Called on the claim, Collins said his efforts paved the way for the bill's passage.

Consultants enter fray

Las Vegas attorney Mathew Harter, whose logo has a sweet little heart on it, has been rough and tough in his fight to unseat Las Vegas Municipal Judge Toy Gregory. So Gregory's consultants have gotten into the fray.

On Wednesday, Gary Gray and Mark Benoit, responding to some of Harter's criticism of the judge, took the unusual step of quoting themselves, rather than the candidate.

They sent out releases calling Harter "a two-time loser" whose attacks "demonstrate a lack of judicial temperament that should disqualify him from becoming a judge."

Harter asked: Who cares what Gregory's consultants think?