2012 Voter Guide: Nevada Assembly District 15

As a Republican in a heavily Democratic district, Megan Heryet knows she has a tough road to Election Day victory.

She's trying to unseat District 15 Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, a one-term incumbent who enjoys a massive fundraising advantage and more than twice the number of registered Democrats as Republicans.

Despite the challenge, the native Las Vegan said she's serious about representing the district where she was raised.

"I didn't pick this district because it was politically convenient," she said. "This is my neighborhood."

To win she will have to upset Anderson, a former U.S. Marine who moved to Nevada in 2005 after a military stint that included combat time in Afghanistan.

He cites his experience in the 2010 Legislature, where as a freshman lawmaker he introduced three bills that became law. Those included a bill to address trespassing by prostitutes on the Strip and another to create a license plate for female military veterans.

For the upcoming Legislature, he has promised to introduce two bills in support of same-sex couples. One would start the process of overturning the state's same-sex marriage ban, and the other would create a card for same- and opposite-sex couples to prove they are legally registered domestic partners in Nevada.

Anderson believes the state must emphasize education as a key to economic growth and stability.

"You can't separate jobs and education," he said.

Nevada must improve funding for both primary and higher education while broadening the tax base and not cutting already stripped-down public services, he said.

When it comes to the state's housing crisis, officials must funnel homeowners toward programs under the national settlement, which requires five of the nation's largest banks to work with distressed homeowners by offering principal reductions, loan modifications and other programs, he said.

"We need to work with the attorney general to make sure we are getting our fair share of principal reduction dollars," Anderson said.

As a real estate agent, Heryet has seen the effects of the stagnant housing market. Many potential homebuyers are left waiting because of a lack of houses on the market. Thousands of homes are either stuck in foreclosure or some other form of distress, while others are bank-owned properties being kept off the market, she said.

Part of the reason was 2011's Assembly Bill 284, which forced banks to verify ownership documents before foreclosing.

Heryet said it might be time to re-examine the bill and its effect on Nevada's housing market, but the solution might be having the state let the market do what it will do.

"The Legislature mucking around is not the way to solve this problem, because at some point the inventory is going to be released," she said.

Heryet said she believes the state must maintain lower taxes while improving its education system to spur economic growth. She opposes Gov. Brian Sandoval's extension of a 2011 tax package because it was intended as a short-term solution and doesn't address the overall shortage of tax revenues.

She favors reducing the sales tax rate while broadening it to include services as a way to create new revenue.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281.