Republican men’s club elects female president

The Republican Men’s Club in Las Vegas recently held elections and voted to make Suzette LaGrange president.

She’ll lead the largest political club in the state with more than 350 members — 40 percent of them women.

Why not change the name of the club? Tradition, LaGrange said in an interview.

“I think it’s not that big of a deal,” LaGrange said, referring to the club’s name and her election. “I’ve never felt excluded in any way. I don’t know what they’re talking about when they say there’s a GOP war on women. … I think the Republican Party is more seated in tradition so we have Republican men’s clubs and women’s clubs.”

Four of the club’s nine directors also are women, according to the organization’s website. LaGrange said that women’s GOP clubs, on the other hand, typically don’t allow men to be board members. Go figure.

LaGrange said her father also was a member of the Republican Men’s Club, which holds monthly luncheons with guest speakers, including political candidates during the election season.

In 2013, LaGrange lost an election to sit on the Las Vegas City Council. She said she has no plans to run for another office, at least for now. The GOP club president serves for one year. Previously, LaGrange was the treasurer.

Democrats often portray the Republican Party as anti-women because GOP lawmakers in Washington have voted against legislation that would require equal pay for men and women, for example. Opponents say such laws would benefit trial lawyers and aren’t necessary since gender discrimination is illegal. Women make 77 cents for every dollar men earn.

Most Republicans also oppose Planned Parenthood funding since the group counsels women about abortion.

LaGrange, a 41-year-old businesswoman who works in real estate, said she finds it “kind of silly that we have to defend against the anti-women thing.” She said women are as active as men in the club, if not more.

“Women are better organized,” LaGrange said. “I do think that it’s women who get things done.”

LaGrange said the club’s goals for this year include trying to attract more young voters to the Republican Party to compete with Democrats, who have done a better job of recruiting youths. Also, she said the club plans to more closely follow developments in the Nevada Legislature, which begins its biennial, 120-day session Feb. 2.

“I think you’ll find our club a lot more politically engaged during the next session,” LaGrange said.

LaGrange didn’t break the glass ceiling of the men’s club, which elected its first female president, Susan Turner, in 1997. LaGrange is the second female president out of about three dozen elected presidents over the years.

— Laura Myers

FORECAST BETTER FOR INAUGURATION

Gov. Brian Sandoval, Lt. Gov Mark Hutchison and other constitutional officers elected Nov. 4 will be sworn into office today in a ceremony on the steps of the state Capitol in Carson City that starts at noon.

The forecast is for more seasonable temperatures than seen in a cold snap last week with daily highs only in the 20s.

Sandoval, starting his second term as governor, will deliver his inaugural remarks at the event, which also will see two Supreme Court justices sworn into office for new six-year terms.

In addition to Sandoval and Hutchison, Adam Paul Laxalt will be sworn in as Nevada’s new attorney general, Barbara Cegavske will become the new secretary of state, Dan Schwartz will become the new treasurer, and Ron Knecht will be the new controller.

Supreme Court Justices Mark Gibbons and Kris Pickering, who won new terms on the court without opposition, also will take their oaths of office.

Following the ceremony, there will be a reception with Sandoval and first lady Kathleen Sandoval in the Old Assembly Chambers on the second floor of the Capitol.

The swearing-in of the constitutional officers, five of them new to their offices, represents a Republican sweep of the positions in the general election.

Hutchison, formerly a state senator from Las Vegas, takes over from Republican Brian Krolicki, who was termed out of office.

The other four offices had been held by Democrats, all of whom faced term limits as well. Laxalt takes over from Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto; Cegavske, termed out of her Las Vegas state Senate seat, takes over from Ross Miller; Schwartz takes over from Kate Marshall and Knecht takes over from Kim Wallin.

The event marks the beginning of a new session of the Legislature. Sandoval will deliver his State of the State address Jan. 15, and the Legislature, now controlled by Republicans in both houses, will convene Feb. 2 for a 120-day session that ends by June 1.

— Sean Whaley

NOT TOO EARLY TO CELEBRATE

University of Nevada, Las Vegas students were not the only elated basketball fans who celebrated on the court at the Thomas &Mack Center after UNLV upset the third-ranked Arizona Wildcats two days before Christmas.

Outgoing UNLV acting President Don Snyder walked the floor, took photos with mascot Hey Reb! and relished the university’s biggest hoops win since UNLV upset then-top-ranked North Carolina in 2011.

And Snyder was not the only president to be celebrating the big win.

New President Len Jessup was on the floor, too, and he even took photos of the postgame celebration just like the hundreds of students who swarmed the court.

— Alan Snel

COUNTY OFFICIALS TO BE SWORN IN

The Clark County Commission will have the same slate of officials today when three re-elected county commissioners are sworn in by U.S. District Judge Loyd D. George.

Chris Giunchigliani, Susan Brager and Mary Beth Scow were all re-elected Nov. 4 to four-year terms. It’s the third term for Brager and Giunchigliani. It’s Scow’s second term.

The commission will meet at 9 a.m. today at the County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas. The commission also will pick a chair and vice-chair. Currently, the chairman is Steve Sisolak and the vice chairman is Larry Brown.

Clark County is getting a new sheriff, too.

Joe Lombardo will be sworn in at 8 a.m. today at the Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters, 400 S. Martin Luther King Blvd. The ceremony is in building B, testing room 128, and is open to the public. A short reception will follow.

Lombardo, who will become the county’s seventh sheriff, is replacing Doug Gillespie, who is retiring after two four-year terms as sheriff and a law enforcement career.

— Ben Botkin

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Find her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj. Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801. Contact Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Find him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel. Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.