Lee to challenge Horsford in Democratic primary

CARSON CITY -- State Sen. John Lee said Monday he intends to beat Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford in the Democratic primary race for the newly created 4th Congressional District seat next year.

Lee, of North Las Vegas, said he is pleased with how the panel of three court-appointed special masters drew up the boundaries of the new district. Their maps of the state's four congressional districts and the 63 legislative districts were released Friday. District Judge James T. Russell scheduled an Oct. 27 hearing to decide whether to accept the panel's work or request revisions.

"I am very excited," said Lee, a plumbing company owner, about running in a district that tentatively includes half of the rural counties in the state. "These people are who I am. They are people who get up at 6 a.m. and go to work as welders, plumbers and work in gas stations."

What might give Lee an advantage in the new district is the fact that it includes not only much of North Las Vegas and the northern urbanized Clark County but also half of the rural counties in the state. All of Mineral, Nye, White Pine, Lincoln and Esmeralda counties, with part of Lyon County, would be in the district.

Lee said many residents are like him, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only 14.4 percent of the 675,137 residents are African-American, while 23 percent are Hispanic. Democrats hold a 46 percent to 33 percent registered voter advantage over Republicans in the district.

Horsford, of Las Vegas, is bidding to become the first African-American from Nevada to be elected to Congress. While the special masters preserved most of the historic Las Vegas black community in the district, only 8.5 percent of Nevada's population is black.

Horsford did not return phone calls seeking comment. But his campaign manager, Geoff Mackler, said the boundaries of the districts are not final, and Horsford "will run from the district where he was raised, lives and works."

A moderate Democrat, Lee, 56, came out against the tax increase proposal developed by Horsford and other leading Democrats during this year's legislative session. No vote was taken on that plan, and Lee joined other Democrats in backing Gov. Brian Sandoval's proposal to extend more than $600 million in taxes that were scheduled to expire.

Lee has lived in North Las Vegas since he was 5. He served four years in the Assembly before winning his first of two terms in the state Senate in 2004.

He declined Monday to say anything negative about Horsford.

Considering the makeup of the proposed district, Lee "would have an edge" over Horsford, said Fred Lokken, a college dean and political science professor at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno.

"Lee is a tenacious campaigner," Lokken said.

He said Horsford's chances depend a lot on his ability to raise money from national Democratic circles.

The election district maps were prepared during three days of private meetings last week by special masters Thomas Sheets, a Las Vegas lawyer; Bob Erickson, retired Legislative Counsel Bureau research director; and Alan Glover, Carson City clerk-recorder. Russell directed the panel to prepare the maps after both political parties filed lawsuits.

Legislators adjourned June 7 without reaching agreement on redistricting. Gov. Brian Sandoval twice vetoed Democratic-passed redistricting bills on the grounds they did not create a Hispanic majority congressional district and as many as 12 Hispanic majority legislative districts.

In a report, panel members said Hispanic majority districts are not necessary because "bloc voting by the white majority was not shown to usually defeat a minority's preferred candidates."

The 1st Congressional District has a 43 percent Hispanic population, and only four of the 63 legislative districts have Hispanic majority populations.

It is not known whether the panel's work will withstand legal challenges.

In response to a lawsuit by Secretary of State Ross Miller, the Nevada Supreme Court has set a Nov. 14 hearing to decide whether the courts, the special masters or the Legislature itself should redistrict election districts to reflect population changes measured by the 2010 census.

In an order two weeks ago, the court pointed out that it is the constitutional "duty of the Legislature to redistrict following each federal census.''

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.