Races For Governor, Senate Receive Top Billing
November 4, 2018 by Las Vegas Black Image Magazine
Filed under Highlights
BY LOUIE OVERSTREET
Louie Overstreet
The headliners for Nevada’s election show on Nov. 6: The race for governor to replace term-limited Brian Sandoval, and a challenge strong challenge to Sen. Dean Heller.
Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak and Lt. Gov. Adam Laxalt are vying to replace Sandoval. In order for Sisolak to win, he needs to run up the score in Clark County — to offset the votes Laxalt will receive from Reno and most of rural Nevada.
Aiding Laxalt is the legendary name of his grandfather, Paul Laxalt — who dominated Nevada politics from the mid-1960s thru the mid-1980s as governor and then senator. I met him in while serving on a blue-ribbon committee that was lobbying Congress on the disposition of federal lands in Alaska back in 1980. The dude had a lot of presence that included wearing cowboy boots with his business suits.
The battle for Heller’s seat will have more national consequences. At stake is control of the U.S. Senate. We all know what that means in terms of effectively combating the Trump’s agenda — from the appointment of Supreme Court justices, to policies on the environment and foreign affairs.
Challenging Dean Heller is Congresswoman Jacky Rosen. To win, she will need to overcome Heller’s fundraising edge and the power of incumbency. It will be determined whether his close association with Trump will help or hurt him in Nevada. To her credit, given her limited political experience, Rosen’s attack advertisements on Heller have been very effective. My prediction is that both these races will be decided by less than 10,000 votes — with Sisolak and Rosen winning.
In two other races of note, look for Aaron Ford to become the next attorney general — and the first African-American elected to statewide office in Nevada. My personal attorney — one of the best labor and civil rights attorney in the state — Richard “Tick” Segerblom will be elected to the Clark County Commission, after a razor-thin primary election. He will fill termed-out Chris Giunchigliani’s seat.
