Sandoval staff seeks gathering limits at debate

CARSON CITY -- Brian Sandoval's campaign expressed concerns after a fistfight broke out a recent U.S. Senate candidate forum that supporters could clash outside a scheduled gubernatorial debate in Las Vegas and prove "hazardous."

Sandoval's campaign staff asked the Nevada Broadcasters Association to "do away with" gatherings outside the television studio where the debate between Sandoval and Democrat Rory Reid will be held Oct. 7, according to an e-mail obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

"While there will be security, it's our view that for our supporters who attend outside it is still hazardous," Sandoval spokeswoman Mary-Sarah Kinner wrote.

Bob Fisher, president of the broadcasters group, said Kinner's concerns and the campaign's request to not allow outside rallies of supporters are understandable given the anger gripping the country ahead of the midterm election and the ugly tone of partisan politics.

"It is a bold request, but if you look at what's going on around the country, it may just be a reasonable request," he said. "Our year of preparation can be spoiled by the times, and the times they are a changing. People are just so angry."

He said he supports the participation of volunteers and told Sandoval's campaign it was their choice whether to discourage their own supporters from attending.

"It's not our tailgate party," Fisher said.

Kinner, when contacted Monday, said the campaign hasn't made a decision on whether it will ask Sandoval's supporters to not show up.

"We're having those discussions as a campaign now," she said. "I think it seems like these kinds of things now have the potential to get out of control."

Mike Trask, spokesman for Rory Reid, said his staff would make no such request.

"We obviously want to gather outside and allow our supporters the opportunity to express themselves and support Rory," Trask said.

He said hundreds of people were outside the candidates' last debate Aug. 29 at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.

"Everyone was well-behaved," he said. "Brian had supporters there, too. It's a great atmosphere."

Volunteers, he said, "want to get out and be involved in this process."

Allen Lichtenstein, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said whether supporters assemble on private property will be up to the broadcasters association, but no one can prevent them from rallying on the public sidewalk.

"It's a fundamental First Amendment right," he said, adding he's confident Las Vegas police will "be able to handle even competing groups of protesters and supporters on the sidewalk."

Kinner's e-mail to the broadcasters was in response to the association's notification of the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidates that security for their upcoming debates has been tightened and that the number of guests they can invite reduced from 40 to 12.