Ward 2 council race off to fast start

Insiders. Outsiders. Cheerleaders. Critics. Unknowns. Familiar faces.

Candidates of all stripes lined up Tuesday to take a crack at winning the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 special election, and another day of filing remains.

The most prominent among the Day 1 filers was former legislator Bob Beers, a conservative fiscal hawk in the Legislature looking to get back into politics after his ouster in a 2008 state Senate race that turned ugly.

Beers, 52, said he has been itching to return to office since striking a legal settlement with the Nevada Democratic Party that he said cleared his name.

In the waning days of Beers' race against Democrat Alison Copening, the state party sent fliers stating Beers, the incumbent, had been under review by the state Ethics Commission, a charge that was untrue.

In a settlement reached in 2010, the Democratic Party admitted the allegation was false, freeing him to run again without the cloud of ethics allegations.

"Even if you know it is a lie, you don't know that everyone else knows it is lies," Beers said.

Although Beers has secured a campaign staff and begun advertising his candidacy, many other hopefuls remain undeterred even if they have less name recognition and organization.

"No one is going to work harder than me because I don't have the money that everyone else does," said Anthony Ruggiero, 47, who also filed on Tuesday.

Ruggiero took unpaid leave from his job as an assistant to Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman Stavros Anthony to run for the seat.

Ruggiero said he knows what it takes to be on the council: an ability to form consensus and a willingness to tackle quality-of-life issues on behalf of residents. "I have established relationships with everybody on the City Council. Anybody else who comes up to the 10th floor is going to have a big learning curve."

Ruggiero said he also has experience fielding calls from residents about everything from street sweeping to code enforcement to graffiti cleanup.

Planning Commissioner Ric Truesdell, 57, who also filed Tuesday, said he wants to help Las Vegas better promote itself as a place for business.

"The city has really stepped up to being job friendly and business friendly, and that is an important message to get out," Truesdell said.

On his campaign website, he touts his relationships with former Mayor Oscar Goodman and his wife, current Mayor Carolyn Goodman. Truesdell complimented them for banging the drum in favor of taxpayer-financed projects such as the Mob Museum, the new City Hall and others credited for raising awareness of once desolate areas.

"I don't think anyone can criticize the fact that there is some life downtown even during this worst economy."

Fayyaz Raja, 60, a real estate investor, showed up for filing with five nieces and nephews. They took pictures in the hallway of the new City Hall while Raja discussed why he wants to run for the seat.

He said he would prioritize the enforcement of neighborhood zoning codes and try to keep spending down.

"I like to see that zoning is being followed," he said. "The city could be more conservative on the fiscal part."

Attorney Bruce Gale, who has run unsuccessfully for judgeships, said he is ready to make a run for council. But he didn't say how he would do things differently.

Roberta Boyers also became a candidate Tuesday. Boyers once served on the Board of Zoning Adjustment, a panel that was disbanded in 2000 when its duties were taken up by the Planning Commission.

Boyers and Sherese Holmes, who also filed, were unavailable for comment.

The rush for Ward 2 is a result of the departure of Councilman Steve Wolfson, who left midterm to accept an appointment as Clark County district attorney.

The winner will serve the remainder of his term, which concludes in June 2013.

Ward 2 covers the southwest part of the city roughly from U.S. Highway 95 in the north to Sahara Avenue in the south and Las Vegas Boulevard in the east to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the west.

The election is scheduled for March 20, with early voting March 15-16. 

People wishing to run for the seat can file for candidacy Wednesday at the new City Hall, 495 S. Main St.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.