Our view: Gansert for Nevada Senate District 15
The RGJ Editorial Board endorses Republican Heidi Gansert for Nevada Senate District 15.
The vote was 8 for Gansert, 1 for opponent Democrat Devon Reese, 1 abstention and zero for opponent Libertarian David Colborne.
District 15 covers west Reno and Verdi.
Reasons to vote for Gansert
• She has a broad range of experience. She has been minority leader in the Nevada Assembly, chief of staff to Gov. Brian Sandoval, and now assists the University of Nevada, Reno in making connections between the school and businesses as well as the community. She is knowledgeable about the issues from a 30,000 foot level down to minutiae.
• She is poised and stays focused on the issues in the midst of partisan noise. She will bring needed stability to the Legislature.
• She seems open to listening and changing positions, as she did when she thought more about a question on school impact fees during her interview with the RGJ Editorial Board.
• She is committed to improving educational performance in Nevada.
Reasons to be cautious of Gansert
• She supports the $750 million room tax increase to fund the Las Vegas Raiders stadium, which puts Nevada taxpayers at risk and may delay Northern Nevada road projects.
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• She occasionally does not reveal her true thoughts on important questions if doing so might be politically disadvantageous, such as on whether she would have supported the major tax increase passed last session to pay for the governor’s education plan.
Reasons to vote for Reese
• Beneath the bluster and theatricality of his debate performance against Gansert at the Peppermill, Reese can be reasoned and thoughtful.
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• He will be a strong advocate for education in Nevada.
• He is a first-time candidate so if you prefer an outsider rather than someone who has spent years in Nevada politics, he is a worthy pick.
Reason to be cautious of Reese
• In his debate with Gansert, Reese was aggressive to the point of bullying. He was also extremely partisan and often seemed more interested in eliciting cheers from the audience than discussing the issues. The Nevada Legislature does not need more of this behavior.
Reasons to vote for Colborne
• He is a far more articulate about Libertarian values than Gary Johnson at the top of his party’s ticket.
• He understands his third-party status and how he will need to work with others on areas of overlapping interests, such as occupational licenses.
Reason to be cautious of Colborne
• He would prefer that millions of acres of public land in Nevada accessible to everyone go to private individuals.