Danny Tarkanian to join race for new district seat

Danny Tarkanian plans next week to launch his Republican campaign for the new congressional district in Southern Nevada, a GOP source said Wednesday.

Tarkanian's entry into the race will set up a competitive GOP primary for the 4th Congressional District with state Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, businessman Dan Schwartz and Kenneth Wegner, a retired Army veteran who said Wednesday he is getting into the race too.

The move also means Tarkanian's wife, Amy Tarkanian, who is chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party, probably will resign her post to avoid the appearance of any conflict.

"Some people feel that it's necessary that I step down," Amy Tarkanian said Wednesday. "I also have a lot of folks saying, 'Please don't go.' "

Tarkanian was elected chairwoman last year after GOP Chairman Mark Amodei resigned to campaign for a U.S. House seat, which he won. She won a full, two-year term in October.

Tarkanian's resignation could come before Nevada's Feb. 4 GOP presidential caucus. She said everything is in place for the event, and she is confident it will go off with few problems.

In 2010, Danny Tarkanian lost a U.S. Senate race during the GOP primary, his third loss at the ballot box. But the Las Vegas businessman is a well-known figure. He once was a basketball star for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas , where his father, Jerry, coached. His mother is Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, a popular Democrat.

Last month, Danny Tarkanian released a poll that showed he could win the new congressional seat although Democrats have a voter registration advantage of at least 11 percentage points.

According to the survey of likely GOP primary voters, Tarkanian could beat Cegavske 73 percent to 9 percent if the primary election were held now, thanks to his name recognition. Tarkanian was known by 95 percent of those surveyed compared with 29 percent who know Cegavske.

In a general election matchup, Tarkanian could beat state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, 47 percent to 36 percent if the vote were held now, according to the poll of likely voters. In comparison, Horsford could beat Cegavske 43 percent to 32 percent, the survey found.

Horsford has announced he is seeking the seat and expects strong Democratic Party support.

In the GOP primary, a crowded race could favor Tarkanian if the other lesser-known candidates split the vote, although Cegavske has a strong conservative legislative record on which to run.

Schwartz, to introduce himself to voters, launched his first 30-second TV ad last week.

Wegner's name might be familiar to voters in Southern Nevada because he has lost GOP challenges to U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., in her past three congressional races. Berkley represents the 1st Congressional District but is running for the U.S. Senate.

Wegner said he now lives in the new 4th Congressional District after redistricting. It covers North Las Vegas in Clark County, part of Lyon County and all of Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye and White Pine counties, a rural component that could give a Republican a chance.

Review-Journal Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel contributed to this report. Contact reporter Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Follow @lmyerslvrj on Twitter.