Embattled Nolan loses Senate re-election bid

Two incumbent Republican assemblymen survived Nevada primary challenges in their quest for re-election, but state Sen. Dennis Nolan was ousted by Elizabeth Halseth in District 9 on Tuesday night.

Nolan, a state lawmaker since 1995, was defeated by Halseth, a 27-year-old executive assistant.

Nolan had faced a tough campaign from Halseth, including accusations stemming from a voice mail message he left for a rape victim's sister that Halseth posted on her campaign website.

Also, John Hambrick topped Annie Black and Mark Ralson Slotta in Assembly District 2, while Tom Grady defeated Gary Gladwill in Assembly District 38.

Nearly two-thirds of more than 200 candidates running for Nevada's Legislature faced primary opponents. Term limits guarantee the Legislature will have a new look in 2011, with 17 lawmakers being forced from their posts.

Primary voters were relatively kind to Assembly lawmakers seeking to move to the state Senate, with four of six candidates winning over party voters at a time when voters have shown distaste for incumbents.

Republicans Joe Hardy, Don Gustavson and James Settelmeyer all passed primary tests, but Assemblyman Ty Cobb lost a primary bid for state Senate District 4 by more than 4 percentage points to Ben Kieckhefer, a former spokesman for lame-duck Gov. Jim Gibbons, who was denied his party's nomination.

Democrat Mark Manendo, a term-limited assemblyman, beat out term-limited Assemblywoman Kathy McClain for the party's bid in state Senate District 7.

Maggie Carlton, a term-limited state senator, won a Democratic primary for Clark County's Assembly District 14. And Pat Hickey, a former assemblyman, was picked by Republicans to move on to the general election in Assembly District 25.

Dina Neal, the daughter of the first black man to serve in the state Senate, won a Democratic primary in Assembly District 7. Her father, Joe Neal was elected in 1972 and spent 32 years in Nevada's upper house.

Lou Toomin, a former assemblyman from District 15 who served one term in 1993, came in third among Democrats seeking the same seat this year.