Montandon picks up steam in straw poll

Straw poll results

Statewide polls have shown Brian Sandoval leading the race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination and Mike Montandon in single-digits.

But straw polls of Republicans in Clark County, the most populous county Nevada, tell a different story. Although straw polls are self-selected and unscientific, they do show some insight into the thinking of the respondents.

And among respondents to Clark County Republican Party straw poll, party faithful are moving toward Montandon as the candidate of choice.

E-mail responses from more than 80 members to the county party from March 7 to March 25 showed 37 percent picked Sandoval, 34 percent Montandon and 29 percent incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons.

A subsequent round of responses from about 245 Republicans between March 26 and April 3 showed Montandon as the choice of 41 percent of respondents, Sandoval the pick of 31 percent and Gibbons the favorite among 28 percent, county party spokesman Bill Pojunis said.

The latest statewide scientific survey of Republicans from Mason-Dixon Polling & Research showed Sandoval with 39 percent of the vote, Gibbons with 25 and Montandon with 7 and 29 undecided.

Sign of the times

Anyone looking for a sign of political expression gone too far should look no further than the battered remains of a campaign sign touting Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno.

And the person who decided to "kick to pieces" the sign for Leslie, who is running for state senate, was her colleague, Assemblyman Ty Cobb, R-Reno, who is running for state Senate in a different district.

The Reno Gazette-Journal first reported the sign destruction, saying a witness saw Cobb smash the sign following a Nevada Bighorns Unlimited dinner April 9.

Cobb apologized to Leslie and replaced the sign but Ben Kieckhefer, his Republican primary opponent, says the outburst could be an issue for voters.

"It clearly reflects his judgement," said Kieckhefer, who added ultimately voters will decide if they want to elect "someone who behaves that way."