Name: Don Chairez Party: Republican Age: 51 Occupation: Attorney Name: Catherine Cortez Masto Party: Democrat Age: 42 Occupation: Attorney

A former Clark County district judge and a former assistant U.S. attorney are the two candidates seeking the office of attorney general, the top law enforcement job in the state, in the November general election.

Don Chairez, the former judge, who is pushing an eminent domain measure on the November ballot, is the Republican candidate who stepped in after George Chanos, the attorney general, decided not to run for election to the office.

Catherine Cortez Masto, a native Nevadan and the daughter of the late Manny Cortez, a former chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and a former Clark County commissioner, is the Democratic candidate.

Cortez Masto said her concerns are drug use, especially methamphetamine abuse, identity theft and domestic abuse involving spouses, children and the elderly.

As the top law enforcement official, the attorney general has responsibilities in such areas, she said.

And as a former U.S. attorney, Cortez Masto said, she has seen a link between the problems. Drug abusers frequently are involved in identity theft to gain money for drugs, she said.

"As attorney general I want to lead the charge on those issues and find solutions for our state," Cortez Masto said.

As attorney general, she said, she would work to coordinate the resources of federal, state and local authorities to combat the problems.

Cortez Masto, who is running for political office for the first time, said she was surprised that Chanos decided against running for the job.

"But it isn't about who is running for the office," she said. "It's about my experience, knowledge and education. The focus is what I can bring to the state as attorney general."

Chairez said he has nothing negative to say about Cortez Masto, whom he describes as a friend, except that she opposes the eminent domain measure, PISTOL.

Cortez Masto said she agrees with the idea that private property should not be taken by government and given to another private property owner, but other elements of Question 2 give her concern, particularly the potential loss of federal highway money if it becomes law.

Chairez, who expects to be outspent many times over by Cortez Masto, said he is the most qualified candidate for the job.

In 25 years as a lawyer and as a judge, Chairez said, he has participated in more than 90 jury trials and presided over 25 murder trials, far more than his opponent.

If elected, Chairez said, his main priority will be to focus more attention on public corruption.

"We need to find a way to make sure that people who do get elected to office aren't being overly influenced by the contributions made to them," he said. "The attorney general's office and the district attorneys could do more instead of punting to the feds."

Chairez said he would like to see the issue of the transfer of water from White Pine County to Las Vegas put to the voters.

Not all Clark County residents, especially those who are tired of the out-of-control growth in Southern Nevada, would support such a transfer, he said.

Chairez has been involved in the eminent domain issue for many years. His ruling in 1996 in favor of Carol Pappas in the dispute with Las Vegas over construction of the Fremont Street Experience turned, at least temporarily, the process on its head.

Chairez was overruled by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2003. The Pappas family then settled with Las Vegas in 2004 for $4.5 million.

Since then, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 2005 decision called Kelo v. New London, ruled 5-4 that a Connecticut municipality was allowed to seize property from 15 homeowners who had refused to sell their homes for the construction of private office buildings and housing.

PISTOL and ballot measures like it across the country were the result.

Cortez Masto worked as a chief of staff to former Gov. Bob Miller in 1998, his final year in office, and most recently worked as assistant county manager in Clark County. She stepped down from the job last year to concentrate on her election bid.

Cortez Masto got her bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada, Reno and graduated from Gonzaga University Law School in 1990.

Chairez resigned from the Clark County bench in 1998 to run for Congress, losing by fewer than 6,000 votes to the Democrat candidate Shelley Berkley. He ran for the Supreme Court in 2002, losing to incumbent Justice Bill Maupin.

Chairez grew up in Sacramento, Calif., and earned a bachelor's degree in history from Loma Linda University. He earned a law degree from the University of Southern California.

Chairez came to Nevada in 1989, serving as a deputy district attorney in Washoe County. He later took a similar position in Clark County before his appointment to the bench.