With the PolitickerNV.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Nevada's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerNV.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Nevada's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Pindell Report: Nevada is the presidential swing state of 2008

A pure toss-up state, a mix of demographic issues, booming population, foreclosure crisis in the south, moral issues of importance in the north, collectivist unions that matter and Libertarian feelings that matter: Nevada is a battleground state in the battleground West.

The Pindell Report, a new Politicker.com product, even calls Nevada the No. 1 presidential swing state this cycle. (PolitickerNV.com, Staff)

Link:  http://www.politickernv.com/editornv/2202/pindell-report-nevada-presiden...

Hours before primary polls close, Porter strikes back on charges of absence

Hours before the polls closed in today’s primary, U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Boulder City) fired back against charges that he was spending too much time away from his home district.

“I do my job and I’m proud of it,” Porter said in a telephone interview. “My success has been very clear.” (PolitickerNV.com, Alex Isenstadt)

Link: http://www.politickernv.com/alexisenstadt/2210/hours-primary-polls-close...

Raggio survives primary

While one Republican veteran managed to stave off a tough primary challenge, another seemed headed for defeat as vote totals neared 100 percent Tuesday.

Hurt by low turnout, veteran Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio nonetheless pulled out an indisputable victory over former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle on Tuesday.

With 96 percent of the precincts in Washoe Senate District 3 counted, Raggio had a 552-vote lead over Angle. (Nevada  Appeal, Geoff Dornan)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/674024917/-1/rss05

Staub, Walt to fight for supervisor seat

Incumbent Richard Staub and teacher Molly Walt will fight for the Carson City Ward 4 supervisor seat in the general election after beating out three other candidates in the primary Tuesday. (Nevada Appeal, Dave Frank)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/919004129/-1/rss05

Carson City defies statewide low voter turnout

Unlike most counties, which saw a very light primary turnout Tuesday, Carson City drew a better turnout than in 2004.

Counting early voting, absentee ballots and Tuesday's turnout, 37.67 percent of the capital's registered voters cast ballots in the primary.

Altogether, 8,347 of the 22,160 registered to vote did so.  (Nevada  Appeal, Geoff Dornan)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/687159144/-1/rss05

Gibbons says regents 'calling for the moon' in budget plan

Gov. Jim Gibbons said Tuesday the Board of Regents is "obviously calling for the moon" in asking for a budget increase when every other agency in the state is facing spending cuts for the next budget cycle. (Nevada Appeal, Geoff Dornan)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/801074832/-1/rss05

For mayor: Crowell, Haskins

Bob Crowell nearly won more than half the vote to take the Carson City mayor’s race Tuesday, but the five other candidates including general election opponent Ken Haskins peeled away enough votes to stop him short.

Crowell, an attorney and school board member, had more than 49 percent of the vote when the early voting results came in, but the number dropped a point when the final results appeared later that night. (Nevada Appeal, Brad Horn)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/190482163/-1/rss05

Dixon, Hess to compete for Storey County clerk-treasurer

Vanessa Dixon and Rollie Hess will square off in the general election after they took the top two spots on the Republican ballot in the race for clerk-treasurer in Storey County.

Dixon led in the balloting with 238 votes, followed by Hess with 150. Lee Wilson, a former school board candidate was third with 77 votes and businesswoman Zoe Connell had 62. (Nevada Appeal, Karen Woodmansee)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/778704597/-1/rss05

Wilson, Waters to face off in general election for judgeship

Carson City attorney Jim Wilson and former district attorney Noel Waters will go head to head in the November general election for the First Judicial District Court
Judge Dept. 2 of Carson City and Storey County. (Nevada Appeal, F.T. Norton)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080813/NEWS/914941454/-1/rss05

PRIMARY ELECTION: In low turnout, voters pummel incumbents 

It was a brutal night for incumbents Tuesday, as Nevada's primary election swept several legislators and judges clean out of office.

Three Republican lawmakers and two embattled Clark County judges lost their positions in the low-turnout contest as those voters who showed up -- the fewest of any election in at least 12 years -- appeared to prefer new blood. (Review Journal, Molly Ball)

Link: http://www.lvrj.com/news/26904434.html

Sullivan top finisher in primary for Justice Court seat 

Diana L. Sullivan, a private lawyer, small claims court referee and substitute justice of the peace, will advance to this fall's general election for Las Vegas Justice Court's newly created Department 12 seat.

Joining her in the fall will be Steve Smith, who beat out longtime lawyer David Linn by the smallest of margins, 17.99 percent to Linn's 17.81 percent. (Review Journal, Lynette Curtis)

Link: http://www.lvrj.com/news/26904399.html

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: Three House incumbents coast 

Nevada's three members of the House of Representatives all breezed past primary challengers in Tuesday's election, setting up the general election contests for the state's congressional seats.

Rep. Jon Porter won the Republican primary in the 3rd Congressional District, while state Sen. Dina Titus won the Democratic vote. The two will face off in what is expected to be one of the nation's hottest congressional races in November for the suburban Clark County seat. (Review Journal, Molly Ball)

Link: http://www.lvrj.com/news/26904369.html

Two candidates advance to vie for embattled Judge Del Vecchio's seat 

Allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct against Family Court Judge Nicholas Del Vecchio might have been the nail in the coffin of his re-election bid.

The embattled Department K judge didn't earn enough votes Tuesday to advance to the fall general election. (Review Journal, Lynette Curtis)

Link: http://www.lvrj.com/news/26904354.html

Wallace, Olsen advance 

Events production company owner Chris Wallace came out on top in a primary election for state Board of Education District 7, a nonpartisan office left open by incumbent Merv Iverson's decision not to seek re-election.

Wallace, 29, said he was nervous until he saw the election results Tuesday night. (Review Journal, Staff)

Link: http://www.lvrj.com/news/26904344.html

Election? What election?

Apathy, sad to say, ruled the day. On Tuesday only about one of every seven registered voters in Clark County bothered to cast a ballot in the primary election. (Las Vegas Sun, Staff)

Link: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/13/election-what-election/

Pullman, McKenna to face off in general election

Former Washoe County School Board member Jonnie Pullman and Reno attorney Ken McKenna will face each other in the general election for the state Board of Education’s District 8 seat representing Reno. (Gazette Journal, Lenita Powers)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812110

Incumbent Bobzien to oppose Gwaltney in Assembly 24

Assemblyman David Bobzien, D-Reno, defeated his Democratic challenger Tuesday in Assembly District 24, clearing the way for him to face Republican John Gwaltney in the general election. (Gazette Journal, Anjeanette Damon)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812107

Washoe judge, Vegas lawyer to vie for supreme court

Las Vegas lawyer Kris Pickering and Washoe District Court family court Judge Deborah Schumacher beat two Southern Nevada candidates Tuesday and are heading for the November election for an open seat on the Nevada Supreme Court. (Gazette Journal, Martha Bellisle)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812105

Registrar: Low turnout but smoothest election in years

With no state or county headliner to attract voters, the percentage of Washoe County voters who stayed home in Tuesday’s primary was the highest in decades, officials said. (Gazette Journal, Susan Voyles)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812104

Crowell fails to win 50% in Carson mayor race, to face Haskins in general election

After nearly locking up the Carson City mayoral race Tuesday night, lawyer and school board member Bob Crowell will face opponent Ken Haskins in the general election. (Gazette Journal, Matt Farley)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812093

Tight race for District 32

Assemblyman John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain, was locked in a tight race with former Assemblyman Don Gustavson in a crowded Republican primary for Assembly District 32. (Gazette Journal, Anjeanette Damon)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812088

Heller wins big, sets sights on Derby in November

Freshman U.S. Rep. Dean Heller, R-Carson City, swept to an easy victory in the Republican primary Tuesday, trouncing a first-time candidate who sought to make Heller’s career a liability. (Gazette Journal, Anjeanette Damon)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812084

Voting process clear for Spanish speakers despite typos on sample ballots

Despite minor Spanish errors in the sample ballots, Spanish-speaking voters agreed they didn’t have a difficult time with the process Tuesday. (Gazette Journal, Jessica Estepa)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812080

Nine Washoe judges elected without opposition

Seven Washoe District Court judges, a judicial candidate for a new family court seat and a justice of the peace were elected Tuesday because they were unopposed. (Gazette Journal, Martha Bellisle)

Link: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS19/80812075

Candidates gear up for Nov. contest

Larry Brown wants to take his fiscal shears to the next level.

He cleared the first hurdle on Aug. 12, earning the Democratic nod in the race for the Clark County Commission District C seat.

The 12-year Las Vegas City councilman said he planned to continue his policy of requiring government agencies and departments to justify their spending. (Las Vegas Sun, Jeff Pope)

Link: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/13/candidates-gear-november-con...

Scroggins to face Sisolak in race for Woodbury’s former seat

As the results of the Aug. 12 primary kept rolling in, County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury was at home, more concerned with the Olympic medal count than the voters’ tallies. Restricted by term limits, the man who has represented District A since 1981 could finally root for someone else to win. (Las Vegas Sun, Jeff Pope)

Link: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/13/scroggins-face-sisolak-race-...

Gibbons: Close Nevada State Prison

Gov. Jim Gibbons said Tuesday the old Nevada State Prison must be shut down to save money.

“We have to close NSP simply because of the infrastructure cost of maintaining it,” he said following a Board of Prison Commissioners meeting at the Capitol. (Nevada Appeal, Geoff Dornan)

Link: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080812/NEWS/58007684/-1/rss05

 

With the PolitickerNV.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Nevada's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.