Nevada Governor Wins Renomination in Primary

Democratic Gov. Bob Miller easily won renomination to a second term in Tuesday’s primary while a state assemblyman was leading the Nevada secretary of state for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

In the GOP Senate primary, political consultant Hal Furman defeated millionaire businessman Charles Woods and four others for the right to run against Democratic Sen. Richard Bryan, who was unopposed.

Miller had 18,888 votes (62%) to 8,500 votes (28%) for his closest challenger, Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones, with 20% of precincts reporting. Four others trailed, including a perennial candidate who has changed his name to Rhinestone Cowboy.

On the GOP side, state Assemblyman Jim Gibbons had 13,158 votes (52%) to 8,347 votes (33%) for Nevada Secretary of State Cheryl Lau, with 17% of precincts reporting.

During the campaign, Jones attacked Miller as part of an entrenched “good old boy” political system.

Miller raised $2 million in campaign contributions, nearly two-thirds of it from casino interests. Jones raised $1.3 million, just over a quarter of it from the gaming industry.

Miller campaigned on his record. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1986, became acting governor in 1989 when then-Gov. Bryan moved to the Senate, and won a four-year term in 1990.

Lau, who in 1990 became the first Asian American to win statewide elective office, attacked Gibbons for voting for a big pension increase for lawmakers.

But Gibbons’ campaign picked up momentum by focusing on his November ballot proposal to restrict tax increases in Nevada.

In the GOP Senate race, Furman had 13,440 votes (49 %) to 7,128 votes (26%) for Woods, with 20% of precincts reporting. Three others trailed.

Woods previously has run for a variety of offices in several states, always as a Democrat.