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If the U.S. Senate race were a game of blackjack, the ballot would be busted.

By the close of candidate filing on Friday, two dozen candidates had filed to run for Senate, including incumbent Harry Reid, four other Democrats, 14 Republicans and five third-party candidates.

And that isn't the only race that drew a crowd. There are 12 candidates for governor; 11 for District 1 U.S. representative; 9
for District 3 U.S. representative; and 11 for state Senate, District 13.

Then there are local races. ...

When you go to the polls on primary Election Day, June 8, don't forget your jammies.

Monday

One dead in shooting

A man upset about losing his girlfriend shot three people before he was wounded by police in a southeast valley apartment complex.

All three victims fled the apartment where the shooting began. One of them, Oscar Omar Carmona-Mata, was found dead in a common area of the apartment complex.

When officers arrived, Gabriel Giovanni Santacruz, 26, started shooting, and officers returned fire, hitting the man several times.

Tuesday

From Tunnel to grave

More than 100 Yucca Mountain opponents gathered at the Palms for a mock "wake" for the proposed repository.

The cause for celebration was the Department of Energy's withdrawal of its application to build the facility after decades of research and design work at the site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Wednesday

Goodman: Fire 'em all

Mayor Oscar Goodman said if Las Vegas can't get wage concessions from employee unions, the city should fire everyone and offer to rehire them for a shorter workweek.

Goodman ordered the city attorney to study the possibility, but the idea didn't go over well with the unions or Councilman Ricki Barlow.

There are 146 people's jobs on the chopping block right now as the city readies for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Thursday

Reid's family in crash

Sen. Harry Reid's wife and daughter were rushed to a suburban Virginia hospital after the vehicle they were riding in was rear-ended and crushed by a tractor-trailer in heavy traffic about 15 miles south of Washington, D.C.

Landra Reid, 69, remained in the hospital with a broken nose, broken back and broken neck. She had neck surgery Friday and her prognosis for recovery is good.

Barringer, 49, was released from the hospital after being treated for a neck injury and facial laceration.

Friday

bill signed; state sued

Amid concern that legal action could put state spending in the red again, Gov. Jim Gibbons signed a bill that reduces spending, raises fees and makes other changes to cover a revenue shortfall of more than $800 million.

About the same time, Clark County's regional Clean Water Coalition and M Resort in Henderson filed lawsuits challenging the state's right to tap $62 million collected for a shelved wastewater project.

Critics argue that the state can't take the money because it was collected specifically for regional water quality work.

The Legislative Counsel Bureau reached the opposite conclusion.