Thursday, May 29, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CAMPAIGN 2003: Ward 1 race heats up

Moncrief says McDonald's attacks have crossed the line

Ward 1 candidate Janet Moncrief shows a negative mailer from Councilman Michael McDonald's campaign during a news conference Wednesday at City Hall. The mailer focused on her arrest on suspicion of drunken driving nearly a decade ago. Photo by Jeff Scheid. Michael McDonald, left, talks to Las Vegas Police Protective Association Secretary Jeorge Martin at a fund-raiser earlier this month. McDonald enjoys wide support among unions. Photo by Ralph Fountain.

Ward 1 City Council challenger Janet Moncrief spent an afternoon earlier this month following the script that brought her a surprise primary election victory over incumbent Michael McDonald.

Armed with photocopied fliers produced on her home computer, the political unknown who had never voted before April was going door to door asking for support in the June 3 municipal general election.

The registered nurse and surgery center owner wore her trademark turquoise scrubs and white tennis shoes. "It's one of the most comfortable things you can wear, and I've never had anyone who wouldn't open the door," she said.

Moncrief could have been a character out of central casting: the unknown whose hard work wins out over the experienced, well-connected and better-known incumbent.

Her image as a healer with homemade mailers resonated well enough to outpoll McDonald 48 percent to 44 percent in the April 8 primary. Financial reports filed this week show McDonald has outspent Moncrief $628,510 to $66,566.

But since the primary, McDonald's camp has made many allegations about Moncrief and her campaign, questioning whether she lives in Ward 1, accusing her of underreporting donations and expenditures and bringing up a 10-year-old arrest.

"I have ignored approximately 10 hit pieces against me, mudslinging at its worst," Moncrief said at a Wednesday news conference to address the most recent flier targeting her campaign. The mailer focused on her arrest on suspicion of drunken driving nearly a decade ago -- a charge reduced to careless driving after a breath analysis showed her blood alcohol content was below the legal limit -- and it revealed her Social Security number and date of birth as they appeared in court documents.

Meanwhile, McDonald's name has been linked to an FBI political corruption investigation. He was interviewed briefly by agents in connection with their raids on two strip clubs and has since revealed he was a paid consultant to Mike Galardi, the owner of the clubs.

McDonald maintains he's not a target of the investigation. But political observers say there's no question its timing has hurt his chances of winning a third term.

"As a politician, anytime you talk to the FBI, it can't help you," said Dan Hart, a veteran of several municipal campaigns. "The timing of this couldn't have been worse, and if it's true he's not a target, then it's unfortunate for his political career."

Despite the bad publicity and primary loss, Hart said it would be foolish to count out McDonald and his network of union supporters and neighborhood activists.

Beyond denying he's a target of the FBI probe and questioning his opponent's background, McDonald has focused on reminding voters of his track record preserving the quality of life in Ward 1.

Earlier this month, several hundred people gathered at the annual "A Day for Children" celebration at the city's Mirabelli Community Center. Girls in leotards danced on tumbling mats in front of a makeshift stage.

Between numbers, McDonald jumped onto the stage and asked the crowd, "How many of you love the Mirabelli Center?"

"How many of you want to make it better?" he continued, cajoling the crowd to cheer louder. "How about we build you a brand new one?"

The $6.7 million reconstruction of the facility, where McDonald says he played as a child, is one example of his focus on issues that matter to residents, he said. Parks, shopping malls and senior centers are other improvements that have made Las Vegas' older neighborhoods places people want to live instead of leave for the newer suburbs on the city's fringes, he said.

"We've worked so hard in the area to keep the area livable," he said.

That was the motivation behind installing $1.7 million in landscaping and traffic-calming measures on Alta Drive, he said. "If I don't slow cut-through traffic, then the neighbors, they're either going to leave or rent the house out," he said.

Moncrief has seized on the project as an example of favoritism toward affluent neighborhoods.

"He's bragging about screwing up traffic," she said.

Moncrief said she has taken her cues on issues from conversations with residents and surveys mailed to voters.

So far, she has advocated that the city operate a homeless shelter similar to one in San Diego that arranges jobs for occupants and assists them in saving for their own housing.

She has floated a controversial proposal to loosen the requirement that casinos operate at least 200 hotel rooms. She sees it as a way to stimulate new construction downtown.

"When was the last time a new casino was built in downtown Las Vegas?" she asked.

McDonald said he's "absolutely" opposed to such a proposal.

"There are 19 locations in and around Ward 1 where they have gaming licenses that would immediately become casinos (if the requirement were removed)," he said. "That would kill the quality of life for neighbors in Ward 1."

Lyn Maloney, who believes McDonald's efforts at neighborhood preservation have maintained property values, believes his experience with zoning and other matters are reason enough to support him.

"Why go with an unknown, who has never been civic-minded enough to even vote?" she asked.

McDonald's mailers have criticized Moncrief for registering to vote only after she decided to run against him. In them, he has pointed out that she moved into the district in December and still owns a home in unincorporated Clark County.

McDonald's fliers have criticized her ties to gaming figure Bob Stupak. McDonald's camp alleges Stupak has made undisclosed donations to her campaign. Moncrief acknowledges she knows Stupak, but she denies he has donated any money to her campaign.

Moncrief said Wednesday that McDonald's attacks have crossed the line from mudslinging to invasion of privacy. The flier voters began receiving Tuesday contains excerpts of Justice Court documents that list Moncrief's birthday and Social Security number. The documents detail Moncrief's arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

"This time, Michael McDonald has stepped over the line," she said. "Michael McDonald has endangered my daughter and I with this horrible release of private information."

McDonald defended the flier, saying the information that appears in it was culled from public records. "Anyone could access that information," he said.

But some Ward 1 voters appear to have tired of the attacks.

"The more that I hear about him digging up dirt, the more I'd probably vote for her," said Ivan Griffith. "McDonald is making it sound like he's done no wrong when people out in the community have seen what he's done."

While Moncrief's campaign has been largely positive, it has also been aided by a series of fliers, some of them mailed anonymously, reminding voters of McDonald's run-in with city and state ethics panels in 2000.

McDonald was accused of violating the city's ethics code by trying to thwart a controversial alcohol license application from political consultant Sig Rogich and advocating the sale of a troubled athletic complex to the city to benefit his boss. The ethics board referred the latter charge to District Court, where the judge ruled McDonald's actions did not rise to the level of malfeasance.

The state Ethics Commission failed in its attempt to prove he improperly voted to grant a lucrative trash-hauling contract without disclosing his relationship with several company officials.

McDonald's ethics troubles prompted Larry McCutchen to vote for Moncrief, he said.

"There's just too many of them," he said.

McDonald's union support, however, appears intact despite past ethical problems and the current FBI probe. More than a dozen unions have endorsed McDonald's candidacy.

"Michael has been a strong supporter of unions and working families," said Culinary union political director Glen Arnodo.

Unlike the primary, union faithful have canvassed the largely working-class district over the past two weeks, getting supporters to the polls.

"Like many people, we assumed our efforts weren't needed (in the primary), so we did nothing," Arnodo said. "We made the endorsement, but that's a lot different than rolling up your sleeves and getting to work."

Turnout for early voting, which ends Friday, has been heavy. Some observers believe it could eclipse early voting turnout in the primary, which featured two additional council races and a mayoral race.

McDonald and Moncrief say they expect a close race. And pundits, who failed to foresee Moncrief's strong showing in the primary, balk at predicting the outcome this time.

"If this campaign is decided by organization, which it probably would have been if the FBI revelations had not occurred, then Michael, with the support of organized labor and familiarity with campaign tactics, would have had a distinct advantage," Hart said.

"Now, who knows. It will be fascinating to watch."