Two more politicians file to run for mayor of Las Vegas
The field of candidates competing for Las Vegas mayor grew again on Monday with City Councilman Steve Ross and Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown officially joining the race.
Both men announced their intention to run last year.
"They are looking to see the next mayor change the face of government," Brown said of voters. "We have to. That is a mandate now. The real focus in City Hall is going to be on core services that people expect.
"That's public safety, your police and your fire ... it's your roads, your water, your sewer, your parks. That public infrastructure is critically important to creating the jobs we so desperately need now."
Brown represented Ward 4 on the Las Vegas City Council from 1997 to 2008 before being elected to the Clark County Commission. A former professional baseball player, he also now works as community relations manager for the Las Vegas 51s.
As state and county budgets are cut, "from the City Hall standpoint, we're the backstop," Brown said. "What services are they going to expect us to continue to deliver, and at what level? We have to stop being all things to all people and focus in on the core services that people expect."
Ross, who has represented Ward 6 on the Las Vegas City Council since 2005, also stressed job creation Monday and took a more personal approach in his promise to help boost Southern Nevada employment.
"No 10-point plan, no government mandate and no stiff-suit politician is going to get us out of the mess they helped create," he said in a prepared statement.
"It's time to get back to basics. To create brick-and-mortar jobs to rebuild our infrastructure, to wire every corner of our city with lightening-fast Internet to help us compete for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow, and grab our share of green jobs by maximizing our investments in our natural resources like wind and solar power."
Ross was secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council, which promoted union work. He is now with the District Council 15 Labor Management Cooperative Committee, which oversees a trust for member unions.
The current mayor, Oscar Goodman, cannot seek re-election because of term limits.
The five other mayoral candidates so far are Katherine Duncan, founder of the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce; Tim Gamble, an EMT; Larry Jeppesen, a retired teacher; real estate agent Marlene Rogoff; and local business owner Abdul Shabazz.
Also on Monday, attorney Clark Seegmiller filed to run for Municipal Court Judge Department 5. He's challenging incumbent Cedric Kerns.
In Henderson, the race for City Council drew its second Simmons on Monday, when Joseph Simmons filed as a candidate in Ward 4.
Former city construction manager John Simmons, no relation, filed last week to challenge incumbent Councilwoman Debra March in Ward 2.
Joseph Simmons, 49, works in real estate and has a background in urban planning. He has lived in Henderson for the past 10 years. Before that, he lived in Chicago, where he ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1995 and 1999.
The Ward 4 seat is currently held by Steve Kirk, who cannot run again because of term limits.
In Boulder City, attorney Rodney Woodbury, son of longtime Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, joined the race for a pair of available seats on the City Council.
Retired child services worker Peggy Leavitt also entered the race for City Council, bringing the total number of candidates to four, none of them incumbents.
Current council members Travis Chandler and Linda Strickland have yet to officially file to run again.
Filing for city offices in Boulder City and Henderson wraps up at the close of business on Thursday. Filing in continues through Friday in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.
The primary election will be April 5. In races where no candidate achieves a majority, the top two finishers will compete in the general election June 7.
Review-Journal reporter Henry Brean contributed to this report. Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
