Bush says TV’s Supergirl is ‘pretty hot’

Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush spent a little time last week reaching out to Nevada's superhero base.

On Wednesday, the former Florida governor was at a forum in North Las Vegas, taking serious questions about public policy. He also got a fun inquiry about who his favorite Marvel superhero is.

"I like watching the movies," Bush said, adding jokingly that he wishes he owned Marvel — the comic-book-publisher-turned-movie-maker — as "someone that believes in capitalism."

"I don't know," Bush said. "I'm kind of old school. I like the old school guys like Batman, a little dark these days."

But Bush might like Supergirl a bit more than the Caped Crusader — her looks at least.

Bush mentioned he saw a promo for "Supergirl," the new CBS show that debuts tonight.

"She looked pretty hot," Bush said of the character played by 27-year-old actress Melissa Benoist. "I don't know which channel it's on, but I'm looking forward to that."

The audience chuckled. Later on, Bush added: "That'll make news."

Fact check: Batman and Supergirl are DC Comics superheroes, not Marvel superheroes.

— Ben Botkin

Key state Senate race gets busy

At least two Republicans have announced plans to run for the Nevada Senate in District 6, a seat that could prove pivotal to whether the GOP retains the majority in the upper chamber.

Assemblyman Erven Nelson, R-Las Vegas, announced last week he will run for the seat currently held by state Sen. Mark Lipparelli, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Mark Hutchison when he was elected lieutenant governor in 2014.

Lipparelli is not running in next year's election and the Senate Republican caucus quickly endorsed Nelson to succeed him.

Assemblywoman Victoria Seaman, R-Las Vegas, earlier announced her intention to run for the District 6 seat.

Both Seaman and Nelson were freshman lawmakers during the 2015 session. Nelson supported the $1.4 billion tax package pushed by Gov. Brian Sandoval to fund his education agenda. Seaman voted against it, though it was ultimately approved by two-thirds of legislators.

Democrats are also eyeing the seat in their effort to regain the majority in the upper chamber. Republicans now hold an 11-10 advantage in the Senate, where 10 seats will be up for grabs in 2016.

Nicole Cannizzaro, a deputy district attorney in Clark County, announced her candidacy for the seat and has been endorsed by Democrats.

— Sandra Chereb

Heck staffer email draws fire

An emailed invitation sent out by an outreach manager of U.S. Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., led to a brief back-and-forth between the congressman's office and the Nevada State Democratic Party last week.

The Democratic side announced it filed an ethics complaint, noting that the outreach manager, Ken Minster, had used his official congressional email account to send out the invitation.

The Oct. 4 event, organized by Main Street Advocacy, was described as free and nonpartisan and featured two congresswomen who would discuss issues with "women of all ages and backgrounds."

The problem: Main Street Advocacy isn't an entity of the House.

Roberta Lange, chairwoman of the Nevada State Democratic Party, called it an example of the "Washington dysfunction" that Nevadans don't want.

Heck's office had a different take, calling the allegations "politically motivated." But the office also said the staffer was counseled and measures put in place to ensure employees follow the letter and spirit of House ethics rules.

"Only in the world of Democrat hypocrisy would an Ethics complaint be filed regarding an event designed to encourage and empower women to participate in politics," Heck spokesman Greg Lemon said in a statement.

— Ben Botkin

Gaming industry: Show some love

Jeb Bush has this going for him: He can't be accused of promoting Nevada's gaming economy to score political points in the early-voting state.

The American Gaming Association is encouraging the GOP presidential candidate to get familiar with the industry and overcome his opposition to gambling.

That's because of a comment Bush made to political pundit Jon Ralston last week on "Ralston Live."

"Yeah, I don't like gambling, just for the record," Bush said on the Nevada show. "Is that politically incorrect in Nevada?"

The industry group fired off a press release in response, touting statistics about gaming's role in the state's economy. Among them: Direct gaming taxes make up 47 percent of the state's general fund revenue; casino gaming contributes $53 billion to the state's economy; and the industry supports some 425,000 jobs.

"Gaming is the lifeblood of Nevada's economy, and we invite Governor Bush to visit a casino and meet gaming employees in Nevada in order to better understand our industry," said Sara Rayme, AGA senior vice president of public affairs, in a statement.

"Candidates seeking votes in Nevada shouldn't be averse to stepping foot inside a casino because they don't like gambling. The reality is that embracing casino gaming will boost, not hurt, a candidate's campaign."

— Ben Botkin

—Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1. Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901. Find her on Twitter: @SandraChereb.