Wife of sheriff loses election for justice of peace

A Pahrump woman whose candidacy for justice of the peace raised concerns about conflict of interest lost her bid for the bench on Tuesday.

Linda DeMeo, the wife of Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo, was defeated by former sheriff's Deputy Kent Jasperson, who received nearly 66 percent of the vote.

DeMeo's candidacy was dogged by questions about whether she would be able to preside impartially over criminal cases investigated by her husband's department.

Elsewhere in Nye County, incumbents carried the day, with county commissioners Joni Eastley and Gary Hollis and school board members J.E. "Doc" McNeely and Harold Tokerud all winning new terms.

The county's longest-serving incumbent, 5th District Judge John Davis, won his fourth six-year term on the bench with a rout of Deputy County Prosecutor Marla Zlotek.

Davis, who hears cases for all of Nye, Esmeralda and Mineral counties, will be 80 years old when his new term expires in 2015.

Other results from Nye, Esmeralda, Lincoln and White Pine counties included the following:

• Lorinda Wichman defeated fellow Republican Rob Mobley for the Nye County Commission seat previously held by Midge Carver, who decided not to seek re-election.

• Mike Darby and Vicky Parker won seats on the Pahrump Town Board, leaving incumbent board member Don Rust on the outside looking in. One vacancy remains on the board and will be filled through an appointment by Gov. Jim Gibbons.

• Incumbent Esmeralda County Commissioners Nancy Boland and William Kirby each received more than two-thirds of the votes cast to win re-election in their respective races.

• Incumbent Lincoln County Commissioners Paul Mathews, Wade Poulsen and George T. "Tommy" Rowe won new terms, with Rowe the only candidate who drew a challenge.

• Voters in White Pine County re-elected Commissioner Laurie Carson, replaced incumbent Commissioner David Pound with challenger Richard Carney, and returned former Commissioner Gary Perea to the board to replace Brent Eldridge, who stepped down earlier in the year.

• And while voters in Carson City and Clark and Washoe counties helped turn Nevada the bluest it has been since 1964, rural Nevada continued to glow a shade of bright red. Republican presidential nominee John McCain won more than 54 percent of the vote in Nye County, more than 69 percent in Esmeralda County, more than 71 percent in Lincoln County and more than 63 percent in White Pine County.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.