Final day frenzied as scores file to run for political office

The last day of candidate filing for political office was a free-for-all Friday, as dozens of candidates put their names in under the wire.

A Democrat filed to run against state Sen. Joe Heck, R-Henderson, whom the Democrats hope to make a top target in the fall. An assemblyman who said he wasn't running changed his mind. An arch-conservative former assemblywoman filed to challenge the Republican state Senate majority leader, while a Republican former secretary of state put her hat in the ring to challenge a Northern Nevada Democratic incumbent.

Meanwhile, the late-breaking news that one of Clark County's political icons, County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, might be removed from the ballot spurred some well-known political figures to file for his seat. Woodbury, the longest-serving commissioner in history, might see his candidacy challenged for possibly violating the state's term limits law.

Friday afternoon, Republican Brian Scroggins, a former candidate for secretary of state, and Democrat Steve Sisolak, a state university regent, filed for the seat held by Woodbury, a Republican who has held the post since 1981.

Both said they admired Woodbury and would run for the seat only if he was forced to withdraw.

Scroggins said he wanted to make sure the position was filled by someone who shares Woodbury's philosophy. "He's been a friend and a mentor," he said.

Sisolak said he would use his experience as a regent if elected to the commission in Woodbury's absence. "I'm familiar with budgets and planning," he said.

Another Republican, Duane A. Christy, previously had filed for the seat, along with Democrat Jeffrey White and Independent American Party candidate Scott David Narter.

Democrats had been on pins and needles waiting for a candidate to challenge Heck, a physician and Army colonel whose suburban district has been trending Democratic according to voter registration.

The long-awaited challenger was revealed Friday as Shirley Breeden, a longtime Clark County School District administrator who is about to retire as director of professional development education.

In a Democratic Party news release, Breeden, a 52-year-old grandmother of three, said she only had to look around her to see distressing situations.

"In my neighborhood alone, there are at least four foreclosures on the market dragging down values," she said.

"My mother was treated at the endoscopy center and had to be tested; fortunately, her tests came back negative," she said, referring to the public health crisis that has been in the headlines.

Breeden said she would be pragmatic. "The people I talk to every day want to know their elected officials are working in a bipartisan way to find solutions," she said.

A surprise came Friday when Assemblyman Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, filed for re-election despite saying Thursday that he was not running because his business and family needed him.

Christensen said he stepped back in because the man he had handpicked to be his successor, corporate lawyer Sean Higgins, backed out because the timing was bad. "There's too much at stake" in the next legislative session, he said.

In Northern Nevada, Republican former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle filed late Friday to challenge Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno. Angle has been out of elected office for two years since narrowly losing the 2nd District congressional primary to Rep. Dean Heller, though she continues to promote her perennial initiative to limit property taxes.

Also in the northern reaches of the state, former Secretary of State Cheryl Lau filed to challenge Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City. There are substantially more registered Republicans than Democrats in Parnell's district, making it a ripe target.

Overall, the candidate field in 2008 marked a major departure from two years ago, when more than a dozen state legislators were unopposed.

This year, the only unopposed legislator was state Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon.

Two other rural lawmakers, Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, and Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, face only minor-party opposition.

Under Nevada's term limits, 22 lawmakers either are filing for their last terms or were elected to their last terms in 2006.

The statewide primary election is Aug. 12. Judicial candidates, who filed during a separate time period in January, also will be on the ballot.

Review-Journal writer Scott Wyland contributed to this report. Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-2919.