Susan Gerhardt

LAS VEGAS-On the heels of Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt's surprising announcement last week that she would not be seeking reelection, Nevada Democrats announced today that April Mastroluca, a 40-year-old education and child welfare advocate would be seeking her seat in the 29th District.

"I have already started working hard, meeting people and getting campaign donations, and with the backing of [Assembly Speaker] Barbara Buckley and the rest of party, I feel really confident that this is a district that Democrats can win," said Mastroluca.

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CARSON CITY-Nevada Democrats announced today that Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt (D-Henderson) will not seek a third term in the state legislature and that April Mastroluca, a "longtime education advocate," will run for her seat.

"It's been my privilege to represent Assembly District 29 and to work on so many critical issues," Gerhardt said. "Nevadans are fortunate to have many strong advocates for education, public safety and working families serving in the Legislature, and while I will not run for re-election, I will continue to help them fight for Nevada families however I can."

Gerhardt, a retired police officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was first elected in 2004 and, according to the release, "sponsored bills to give more rights to battered women weighing whether to prosecute their abusers and measures to improve health and safety standards in local medical clinics.  She was a leader in encouraging her constituents to file homestead exemptions."

Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt will not seek reelection, nor seek higher office, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.Gerhardt, a Henderson Democrat, was expected to have a competitive challenge from Republican Sean Fellows.   read more »

LAS VEGAS - Senate District 5 may sit at the top of Nevada Democrats' target list for a possible Senate takeover, but with the incumbent serving a 90-day tour in Iraq with the Army Reserve and no announced Democratic challenger, campaigning has yet to begin.

"There's not a lot we can do; we're restricted because he's on active duty right now," said Lisa Heck, wife of incumbent Republican state Sen. Joe Heck.

A 46-year-old emergency room doctor and Army Reserve Colonel, Heck left the Las Vegas Valley Jan. 26 for deployment to Iraq with the 325 Combat Support Hospital in Anbar Province.  Lisa Heck said Tuesday that laws restricting soliciting of funds for service members on active duty prohibit her from taking most steps to advance her husband's campaign in his absence. 

That "Wally Mail" post sure worked fast.

Sources are telling me that Asy. Susan Gerhardt was absent from the Assembly Caucus fundraiser last night.  "Curiously absent" was the exact wording.

Could this reinforce my call from a few weeks ago that she switches over and runs against Heck 4 Senate 5?

It makes sense.  Sean Fellows has already out-fundraised and out-worked her, and like I said before:  better to get beat in a top-tier targeted senate race than get schooled by the new kid in a Democratic year.

We'll see soon enough. 

Henderson- Although it’s only mid-March, Sean Fellows is already knocking on doors in Assembly District 29, hoping to build the momentum to unseat Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt come Nov. 4.

Fellows, a 27-year-old Air Force Reserve Captain, is considered one of the few bright spots for Nevada Republicans in an otherwise troubling year.  His campaign strategy relies on direct voter contact to build name recognition and hopefully peel away enough votes in his mildly Democratic district to lead him to an upset victory in the fall.  That direct voter contact centers on knocking on doors, practicing the old-school retail politics with modern technology and a personal touch.

PolitickerNV.com accompanied Fellows on an early afternoon walk of one of the district’s precincts Thursday to see his brand of retail politics in action and get an idea of his burgeoning campaign.

In a town where betting it all is ordinary, the choice this year is a simple one for Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt.  Either run for re-election and possibly lose to political newcomer Sean Fellows, or step up and run against Senator Joe Heck.  read more »

Clark County Republican Chairman Bernie Zadrowski.Las Vegas- Clark County Republicans met earlier this month and elected a new chairperson to replace outgoing chairman John Hambrick.  Their choice fell on Bernie Zadrowski, 41, a Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney, to head the party going into the 2008 election.

Zadrowski takes the reins during a troubled time as the Nevada GOP has struggled to counter voter registration trends favoring Democrats and a lackluster performance in the 2006 midterm elections.  Clark County, with its 14 senate and 29 assembly districts, will certainly be a battleground in Republican attempts to regain momentum in the Silver State.

“When I ran for chairman,” said Zadrowski Monday, “I told everybody that my focus would be on local races.  I think it’s important to spend as much time as possible on local races, specifically the assembly and the senate.”