Denis declares for state Senate

Assemblyman Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, will run for state Senate next year, he announced today.

It's the first of many announcements likely to come as term limits scramble the legislative map, prompting a game of musical chairs where current lawmakers are pushed out of their current offices and seek new ones instead.

Denis actually is not subject to term limits, having served just three of the six Assembly terms for which he's eligible. But state Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, can't run for re-election, and Denis is the only currently serving legislator living in her district, District 2.

“Most of the Assembly District I represent is within District 2," Denis said in a news release. "I grew up in this area. This is where I’ve served for years in appointed and elected positions. This is where I volunteer in schools, in scouting and in my church. This is an area I want to represent as we face another round of great challenges."

Both Denis' and Carlton's districts are overwhelmingly Democratic urban areas east of Interstate 15, centered around Owens Ave.