David Parks

This year ended with more of a bang than a whimper. Joseph Cooper has the races to watch here.

Getting a freebie this year are Democrat Valerie Wiener, and Republicans Dean Rhoads and Mike McGinness. All have safe seats.

In CD-1, Shelley Berkley may just pull this one off. With a spare 60,000 voter registration advantage you would think that she is safe, but the race still managed to attract seven GOP opponents. Seven. Must be the huge Republican surge that we're seeing nationwide that makes these guys think they have a chance with those odds.

LAS VEGAS-- Filing began this morning for non-judicial candidates in the Silver State, officially kicking off the election season. Check back regularly throughout the day with PolitickerNV.com for a list of filed candidates.

Newly filed candidates in Clark and Washoe Counties:

We've seen the domino effect that the Titus last-minute jump to fill the Daskas vacancy has caused.  David Parks enters the race immediately, with a hand-picked replacement for his own seat.

On the surface, the Dems seem to have this one under control.  But sources who play both sides (and even some in their own camp) admit that appearances are deceiving in this instance.

LAS VEGAS-Today, Assemblyman David Parks announced that he will seek the 7th Senate District seat left vacant by Nevada Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus' run for congress. This move sets up a potential primary contest between Parks and Assemblyman Mark Manendo, who is "seriously considering" a run as well.

"[Parks] hasn't been primary tested. I have," said Manendo Thursday.

Parks' announcement leaves open his seat in Assembly District 41 and today the Nevada Democratic Party announced that UNLV math professor Paul Aizley will seek the seat.

Assemblyman Mark Manendo is still giving serious consideration to a State Senate bid, and a decision to run will create of the state’s best Democratic primaries – a head to head contest with Assemblyman David Parks for the seat being vacated by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus.  Manendo, sources say, is not happy that some party leaders have settled on Parks without giving him a chance to make his case.

Protestors gather at two different sites in Las Vegas Tuesday.LAS VEGAS-About fifty people gathered at each of two sites in Las Vegas Tuesday to protest the federal income tax in one case and the costs of the continuing war in Iraq in the other.  Although different in purpose, the protests were similar in appearance with waving signs, chanting slogans and an inevitable slowdown in nearby traffic.

Anti-tax protest at "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign

"One hundred percent of the federal income tax goes toward the debt on the dollar," said Cody Cunningham, the 14-year-old organizer of the anti-tax protest.  "It doesn't go toward any services at all.  It doesn't go to roads or highways or anything."