Candidates announce campaigns for Henderson legislative seats

Candidates for two open Assembly districts in Henderson on Wednesday announced plans to run as next month's official filing period for political candidates approaches.

Melissa Woodbury, a Republican, is running in Assembly District 23, while April Mastroluca, a Democrat, will run in District 29.

Both seats were previously held by a Democrat and both new candidates are entering races in which an opposing candidate was already running.

Woodbury, 39, is a schoolteacher and the eldest daughter of longtime County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, also a Republican.

In a news release, Woodbury, who teaches elementary school children with autism, said she would focus as a legislator on improving education.

"We need more parent, teacher and school autonomy in our education system; I believe a bottom-up approach to education is the best way to help our children succeed," Woodbury said. "We also need less red tape and more targeted funding for the classroom. Helping young people has been my life's focus, and I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to Carson City."

Assembly District 23 was previously represented by one-term legislator RoseMary Womack, who decided the work was not to her liking and announced she would not run again shortly after last year's legislative session.

Democrat Allison Herr, a family law attorney, previously announced her candidacy for the seat.

The numbers in the district favor a Democrat: 45 percent of the district's registered voters are Democrats, while 35 percent are Republicans, according to the county Election Department.

But Woodbury could be helped by her father, who is up for re-election this year to the overlapping County Commission seat he has had since 1981. Four years ago, Bruce Woodbury did not have a major-party opponent and was re-elected with 79 percent of the vote.

Also rolling out her candidacy Wednesday was Mastroluca, 40, a staffer for the National Parent Teacher Association who has already spent time in Carson City, advocating for children in the past four legislative sessions.

"I've lived in Southern Nevada since I was 6 months old, and giving back is really important to me," Mastroluca said in an interview. "I've been an advocate for a long time, and I want to serve my community."

Mastroluca said her job, which involves helping communities in 14 states start new PTAs, has given her a firsthand perspective on education problems and solutions around the country. She said she also would focus on helping homeowners through the current market woes and encouraging business development.

Assembly District 29 was previously represented by Susan Gerhardt, who recently announced she will not run for a third term for health reasons. Gerhardt is supporting Mastroluca's candidacy.

Republican Sean Fellows, an Air Force reservist, has been campaigning actively for the seat.

The district has traditionally been one of the Assembly's most closely divided between the two parties. Currently, 42 percent of registered voters in District 29 are Democrats, while 38 percent are Republicans.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.