Reno woman assumes post as Assembly minority leader

CARSON CITY -- With just 15 of the lower house's 42 members, Assembly Republicans were mostly an afterthought at the 2007 Legislature.

Except for derailing a minor bill to limit the amount of time teenagers spend in tanning booths, the GOP minority never stopped Democratic Speaker Barbara Buckley and her party from steamrolling their agenda through the Assembly.

When your team does not do well in the big games, the manager invariably takes the blame -- particularly when some of the media are demanding his head on a platter.

In a Sept. 7 coup, the Republicans removed Assemblyman Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas, as their minority leader and replaced him with his assistant, Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert, R-Reno. She officially assumed the post Monday.

Mabey's antagonist throughout his single session as minority leader was conservative political consultant Chuck Muth of Carson City.

Muth frequently belittled Mabey's leadership abilities on his political blog and in newspaper columns.

"There was no leadership by him," said Muth in an interview. "He tried to accommodate the Democrats and did not put forth a conservative Republican agenda."

Gansert was quick to deny that Muth had any influence on Mabey's dismissal.

"Garn did not want to continue as leader," said Gansert, first elected to the Assembly in November 2004. "He was going to step down sooner or later. We wanted to make a change at the beginning of the election cycle."

But Muth acknowledged that Gansert was his choice for minority leader.

"Heidi at least will return my calls and e-mail and is looking toward building a Republican agenda," Muth said.

Mabey, a 49-year-old physician, said it was more than political differences that caused Muth to support his ouster.

He accused Muth of trying to shake down the Assembly Republican caucus for money. Muth approached him about becoming their paid spokesman and strategist, according to Mabey.

"I didn't want to pay him any funds," Mabey said. "He disliked me because I would not bend to his extortion."

Muth called Mabey's recollection of what happened "an outright lie."

He said he spoke with Mabey in April 2006 about setting up a communication network for the Republican caucus.

"I said I would do it free for one month," Muth said. "After 30 days if they liked it we could negotiate for a price. I am no more shaking down the caucus than he is shaking down a patient when he bills a pregnant woman for medical services. He may be an excellent doctor, but he is a lousy politician."

With Gansert's selection, two of the top four legislative leaders are from Washoe County, which has just 17 percent of the state's population.

While noting that Gansert will "make a great leader," Mabey said Southern Nevada -- home of 71 percent of the state's population -- will not be better off with a leader from Northern Nevada.

"When the governor says jump, she says 'How high,' " Mabey said. "She is also tight with Raggio."

Gov. Jim Gibbons is Reno born and Sparks raised, while 10-time Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, long has been considered Northern Nevada's most powerful politician.

Gansert said she wants to prove she will not ignore Southern Nevada. She said she is lining up meetings with political operatives in the south and maintains that because of its massive population, there is no way Clark County will lose any influence.

Gansert said she realizes how "enormous" the $5 billion transportation shortfall is for Southern Nevadans.

"I will keep pushing (for money to build roads in Clark County)," said Gansert, 43, who earned a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in public administration.

"But it is going to take time. I am sure Jim Gibbons is going to stick with his no-new-taxes pledge. We will have to reallocate existing revenue for roads and take incremental steps to solve the problem."

During the session, Mabey alienated the gaming industry, Gibbons and other legislators by voting against the bill that reallocated existing taxes to create a $1 billion road construction fund.

He objected to using some of the proceeds from a 3-cent Clark County property tax to build and repair roads.

"These funds are used to build parks, soccer, baseball and football fields, swimming pools and other projects that make our communities a better place to live," Mabey said in a floor speech.

"When little Johnnie asks, 'Can we go to a park to swing?'" Mabey said. "They should tell him, 'The funds went to Interstate 15 to help the biggest corporations in Nevada.'"

Members of the Republican caucus say it simply made sense to replace him as minority leader because he had given them the impression he was not running for re-election.

"He had indicated to everyone, including the press, he was done with the Assembly or did not want to take such an active role," said Assemblyman James Settlemeyer, R-Gardnerville. "I believe we needed a change. We need to be more aggressive."

Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Henderson, did not attend the Sept. 7 meeting but supported Gansert by proxy.

"To a certain extent, it was his (Mabey's) decision," Beers said.

He said Gansert can count on serving as minority leader only through the November 2008 elections. Party members then will meet and elect a new leader for the 2009 session. It could be Gansert or someone else, Beers said.

Traditionally the party has chosen as its leader the person who recruited candidates and raised money during the election year.

Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, R-Henderson, wanted Mabey to continue as party leader.

"He worked his heart out," Stewart said. "He did a good job, but in a 27-15 situation it is hard to do much. Now that we have Heidi, I support her 100 percent."

Stewart doubts Gansert will show a bias toward Northern Nevada.

"We have the majority of the population and the majority of the problems, but Heidi will work for us," he said.

By assuming the leadership post now, Gansert said she can start recruiting candidates and raising contributions for the 2008 elections.

"We are not as relevant as we should be because we don't have the numbers," she said, adding, "27-15 is huge. There is not a lot we can do about it because we have been crippled by gerrymandering (of Assembly districts to favor Democrats)."

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