CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1

The Republican primary is crowded with candidates eager for a chance to unseat Shelley Berkley, the Democratic incumbent in Nevada's 1st Congressional District.

Seven people are competing for the GOP nomination in the race. Berkley also faces a challenger from within her own party.

Domestic concerns such as energy, the economy and immigration are at the forefront of discussions in the race for Republicans and Democrats alike.

"I am not hearing much about Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the Middle East and Iran," said Berkley, who is seeking her sixth term in Congress. "The focus of people who are contacting me is domestic and local."

That's true of almost all the other candidates as well.

"The economy is certainly one thing that we're all concerned with," said Russ Mickelson, who ran for this seat in 2004 and 2006 and was the GOP's nominee in 2004. "With job situations, it's got to be America first.

"We've got to secure our borders so we can stop the inflow of illegal drugs" and monitor who's entering and leaving the country, he said.

Mickelson also was an organizer for the Coallition for the Protection of Marriage, which successfully pushed for a constitutional amendment barring same-sex unions.

"Family values are very important," Mickelson said. "Protection of the family has to be a high priority, because without that we have a society that's going downhill."

Edward Hamilton has also sought office before and lost a primary race for the U.S. Senate two years ago.

The former Chrysler executive said Nevada should compete more for government contracts.

"I want to capitalize on Nevada's strength as far as low taxes," Hamilton said. "The same component that's made in California, when it's made in Nevada it's less expensive."

He made two points about illegal immigration. The border with Mexico needs to be sealed, he said, but he's also worried about people who come to America from Europe and overstay their visas.

"These are skilled and educated foreigners. They're waiting for legalization, for amnesty -- then they're going to steal our jobs," Hamilton said. "I want to expedite the mass deportation of these people."

He also said Congress needs to stop accepting annual cost-of-living raises and promised he wouldn't accept a congressional salary until the federal budget is balanced.

Mike Powers, who's been a candidate for Honolulu mayor and for a Hawaiian congressional seat, moved to Las Vegas about a year ago and said he also favors limits on members of Congress -- he doesn't want a pension, the Republican said, and believes in term limits.

He's also focused on young people.

"We have to have a congress person who goes to the preschools and sits on the floor and has lunch with the kids and talks about manners," said Powers, who also supports the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"We just haven't put enough into it because of the war on terror."

On the occupation of Iraq, though, Powers said, "We should've gone in there a long time ago."

Powers said he also favors a constitutional amendment banning abortion.

Chris Dyer, a veteran of Desert Storm and a former member of the Navy and Army reserves, is critical of the occupation of Iraq and says the troops should be brought home.

"Most of the other Republicans are pretty much for staying there," he said. "We're spending a lot of money in other countries that we don't need to be spending there."

Dyer also favors allowing people in the U.S. illegally to "normalize their status, or leave."

"I feel like it's impossible, logistically, to send 12 million or 20 million people out of the country at one time," he said. "If people want to be here and be legal, there should be a way for them to go to the back of the line, as far as citizenship."

Ray Kornfeld doesn't believe in amnesty, but wants an immigration plan with multiple tracks.

"People who are over here illegally, especially if they're criminals, should be deported right away," he said -- but also added, "We need to be sympathetic to why they came here."

Kornfeld also supports a flat tax or a national sales tax, says the federal government should stay out of local education decision making, and favors more reporting requirements on mortgages held by banks so that potential foreclosures can be addressed early.

Kenneth Wegner, who campaigned for Senate in 2004 and also served in Desert Storm, said he's hearing three concerns over and over again: "Oil, oil and oil; illegal aliens; and the economy."

He offered a pair of proposals he said would make the U.S. energy independent in 1,365 days. First, decommissioned Navy ships should be converted into drilling rigs that the federal government would own and operate. Secondly, he called for a network of garbage recycling centers that would convert trash into methane gas.

The federal gasoline tax should also be suspended, Wegner said.

Illegal immigrants who are in prison or who get caught using stolen identities should be deported, he said. Wegner also favors a grace period in which illegal immigrants could leave the country but be expedited in coming back legally, according to his Web site.

"There's no amnesty," Wegner said. "Don't come here and expect you're going to be given things -- except for the opportunity to work."

Eve Ellingwood, a retired administrative law judge from California, did not respond to an interview request but did provide written information about her campaign.

In a letter to voters, she promised "to hear from each and every one of you regarding what you would like to see your government do for you."

Berkley pointed to several accomplishments in the current Congress, including passage of a new G.I. Bill, an increase in vehicle fuel efficiency standards and progress on legislation to help struggling homeowners with mortgages.

She said she favors universal health care and expects the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site to be shelved after the election. Berkley also backs an initiative focused on expanding the use of renewable energy sources.

"We need to move this country away from foreign oil," Berkley said. "That means harnessing the sun, wind, geothermal.

"We can't afford not to. It's an economic imperative. It's an environmental imperative, and it's a national security imperative."

Mark Budetich Jr. is also seeking the Democratic nomination in this race. He could not be reached for comment.

Also signed up to run are Caren Alexander of the Independent American party and Libertarian Raymond Duensing Jr. They are unopposed for their parties' nominations.

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.