Mark Manendo

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.

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.

Working to educate voters ahead of the January 19th Nevada Caucus, the Henderson Democratic Club hosted a mock caucus Wednesday at the Painter’s Union Hall in Henderson. Ellen Barre Spiegel, president of the Henderson Democratic club, said more than seventy people attended and was excited by the turnout.

“We did a lot of outreach in the neighborhood,” she said, “and we got a lot of new people.”

Nevada Assemblyman Mark Manendo was on hand for the event and led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance as the club was called to order.