And they’re off

“This is going well,” says Washoe County Registrar of Voters Dan Burk, pacing through the back rooms at the county complex, as the politicians gather at the front desk, and police-escorted ballots arrive in the back from points all around the county. “This is going very well.”

He’s right, the primary polls closed at 7 p.m., and the first complete count came off printer at 9:19:01 p.m. That’s got to be some kind of a record in Washoe County.

In the computer room, where the official tallying was happening, system administrators are also pleased, relaxing enough to comment on some of the close races. The operatives and journalists are comfortable in this room, getting updates before the toner is even dry on the paper.

Primary elections are weird. In contentious times like these, many voters go to the polls expecting to cast votes that will help alter the course of history. But when they get to the polls, they are handed a ballot that may only have one seat on it. For example, non-partisan voters in Sparks—two-thirds of the full-time editorial staff of the Reno News & Review—only got to select a candidate for sheriff.

And for those who watch such races as the sheriff’s, there were only two candidates anyway. The primary ballot was a mere formality.

Where are the burning questions that have had everybody in such an uproar? Where are the names that have garnered all the headlines? At area polling places, there was no thrill, no feeling of closure, not even a hanging chad to be seen.

OK, maybe there was a little voter intimidation conducted by referendum supporters, but that’ll be adjudicated. But disappointed primary voters have only got to hang on until Nov. 5 before they’ll get to have their significant say.

There weren’t a lot of surprises in this primary, although there were some. It appears the Christian Right made some headway on the state level with Sharron Angle’s win over Greg Brower in the Republican Assembly District 26 race. Jan Gilbert won the Democratic side in this one, but if overall voters mean anything the GOP has the seat sewn up.

Bonnie Weber took out incumbent Joanne Bond in the District 5 Washoe County Commission battle. Maurice Washington re-won the nod for the Republican nomination to the State Senate District 2. Don Gustavson took State Assembly District 30. Assembly District 30 will likely be a photo finish come November.

Ward 4 was thought-provoking. Incumbent Sherrie Doyle bit the dust. The 16 felony indictments for theft probably didn’t help her any. Dwight Dortch and Julie Sferrazza will go head to head in November. Ward 4 likely will end up the swing vote on any train-trench actions at the City Council level. In Ward 2, it’ll be Sharon Zadra against incumbent David Rigdon.

Finally, the mayor’s race went about as expected. Mike Robinson and Bob Cashell are scheduled to butt heads until November.

Still, it has been pointed out that Nevada law (NRS 293C.175) provides that if a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the votes in the primary, he or she is the only candidate to advance to the general election. Cashell garnered 53 percent of the vote. While City Attorney Patricia Lynch has interpreted the law to say that Cashell and Robinson will meet in the general, her decision may be appealed. (A similar thing happened between Sparks mayor Tony Armstrong and Peggy O’Neil last election, but the Sparks charter is specific that there should be a runoff.)

Still, Cashell has said that he favors public votes, so it’s not extremely likely the issue will get forced, but some folks would like to see the race finished before it gets ugly and breeds more dissension in town.

Candidates not listed below either because they had no competition from within their party, are running unopposed or got sent back to the minors.

At any rate, here are the results of all the primary races in Washoe County. If your candidate does appear below, it’s time to get to work, because you just heard the real starting gun to Election 2002.

Primary Election Winners

Nevada Governor Republican
Kenny C. Guinn

Nevada Governor Democrat
Joe Neal

Nevada Lieutenant Governor Republican
Hunt, Lorraine

Nevada State Senate District 2 Republican
Maurice Washington

Nevada State Assembly 26 Republican
Sharron Angle

Nevada State Assembly 26 Democrat
Jan Gilbert

Nevada State Assembly 30 Republican
Don Gustavson

Nevada State Assembly 30 Democrat
Debbie Smith

Nevada State Assembly 40 Republican
Ron Knecht

Washoe County Commissioner District 2 Republican
David Humke

Washoe County Commissioner District 5 Republican
Bonnie Weber

Washoe County Assessor Democrat
Robert W. Mcgowan

Washoe County Public Administrator Republican
Don Cavallo

Washoe County Recorder Republican
Kathryn L. Burke

Washoe County School Trustee District C
Galen Mitchell
Frances Short

Incline Village General Improvement District
John A. Bohn
Gene Brockman

Washoe County Sheriff
Dennis Balaam
William “Bill” Bowen

Reno Mayor
Bob Cashell
Mike Robinson

Reno City Council Ward 2
Rigdon, David H.
Zadra, Sharon

Reno City Council Ward 4
Dwight Dortch
Julie Sferrazza