State Sen. Greg Brower Criticizes His Opponent For ‘Quitting’ On Her Constituents

CARSON CITY – State Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, today criticized his Democrat challenger for “quitting” on her constituents when she resigned her Senate seat and then filed to run against him. Brower is running for election to a full four-year term in what is now Washoe District 15 after the state’s legislative districts were redrawn following the 2010 census. Leslie, who was in the middle of a four-year term in what is now Senate District 13, formerly Washoe Senate 1, resigned when she moved into District 15. She then filed for election to the Senate 15 seat. Filing for public office ended Friday and it didn’t take long for the campaign season to begin. “It was a little surprising; I guess they couldn’t find a candidate to run against me and so partisan politics, I guess, prevails once again and so an incumbent moves to make sure I have a tough race,” he said. But it is a strong Republican district, one that GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval won by almost 20 points two years ago, Brower said. The district has 28,002 Republican and 26,511 Democrat active voters as of February. There are also 10,957 nonpartisan voters. The race is viewed as one of five state Senate contests that could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the 21-member Senate in 2013. Democrats currently have an 11-10 edge. Brower, in an interview on the Nevada NewsMakers television program, said Leslie was serving on several important committees in this interim period before the 2013 legislative session, including the Interim Finance Committee, the Legislative Commission and the Legislative Commission’s Audit Subcommittee. “It’s a strange way to do public service by resigning and basically quitting on the folks you represent,” he said. “But the interim, as you know, has a lot of activity with respect to interim committees, and Sheila, frankly, served on a couple of important committees that she no longer serves on now because of her resignation. And that’s not good for Washoe County.” Brower said he has worked well with Leslie on Washoe County issues. “And the fact that she has just taken herself away from all of that interim activity, the Interim Finance Committee, the Legislative Commission, and other important committees, I don’t think speaks well to her commitment to the folks in Washoe County.” Leslie, asked to respond to his comments, said by email: “I understand Senator Brower's frustration that I moved and am going to give him a competitive race when he was hoping for an easy election. I resigned my seat in Senate District 1 because I believed it was required when I moved out of that district by about a mile. I followed the rules. It was not an easy decision, but I believe it was the ethical decision. “Now that we both live in Senate District 15, we'll be able to present our constituents with a clear choice between someone who is committed to funding education and essential services and someone who chose to vote the extreme Tea Party-line to ensure he had the right kind of record for a Congressional primary,” Leslie said. “I think the voters will know who is really committed to the citizens of Washoe County.” Brower was appointed to the Senate to replace the late Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, who had resigned. He refused to speculate on his political future beyond 2012 when asked if he was considering a run for Nevada attorney general. Democrat Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will be termed out of office in 2014. “I am 100 percent focused on getting elected to this Senate seat,” he said. When asked by host Sam Shad if he would commit to a full four-year term in the Senate, Brower said: “I can’t predict the future, Sam, I just don’t know what is going to happen. I’m just not even going to think beyond 2012.” Brower also defended Sandoval for his announcement last week that he would continue a package of expiring tax increases into the 2013-15 budget to avoid any further budget cuts to education. Brower voted against continuing the 2009 taxes in the 2011 session even though Sandoval supported the decision as a compromise to finalize the current budget. “I think what the governor is trying to do is move this state forward,” he said. “And that means leadership on real issues like the budget. And I think that’s what we saw last week and that’s what we’re going to continue to see. And to the extent this governor is going to take a leadership role in moving this state forward, I stand solidly behind him.”" target="_blank">Greg Brower, R-Reno, today criticized his Democratic challenger for “quitting” on her constituents when she resigned her Senate seat in mid-term and then filed to run against him.

Brower is running for election to a full four-year term in what is now Washoe District 15 after the state’s legislative districts were redrawn following the 2010 census. Former state Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, who was in the middle of a four-year term in what is now Senate District 13, formerly Washoe Senate 1, resigned from office when she moved into District 15. She then filed for election to the Senate 15 seat.

Filing for public office ended Friday and it didn’t take long for the campaign season to begin.

In an interview on the Nevada NewsMakers television program, Brower said: “It was a little surprising; I guess they couldn’t find a candidate to run against me and so partisan politics, I guess, prevails once again and so an incumbent moves to make sure I have a tough race.”

State Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno. / Nevada News Bureau file photo.

But it is a strong Republican district, one that GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval won by almost 20 points two years ago, he said.

The district has 28,002 Republican and 26,511 Democrat active voters as of February. There are also 10,957 nonpartisan voters.

The race is viewed as one of five state Senate contests that could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the 21-member Senate in 2013. Democrats currently have an 11-10 edge.

Brower said Leslie was serving on several important committees in this interim period before the 2013 legislative session, including the Interim Finance Committee, the Legislative Commission and the Legislative Commission’s Audit Subcommittee.

“It’s a strange way to do public service by resigning and basically quitting on the folks you represent,” he said. “But the interim, as you know, has a lot of activity with respect to interim committees, and Sheila, frankly, served on a couple of important committees that she no longer serves on now because of her resignation. And that’s not good for Washoe County.”

Brower said he has worked well with Leslie on Washoe County issues.

“And the fact that she has just taken herself away from all of that interim activity, the Interim Finance Committee, the Legislative Commission, and other important committees, I don’t think speaks well to her commitment to the folks in Washoe County.”

Former Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno. / Nevada News Bureau file photo.

Leslie, asked to respond to his comments, said by email: “I understand Senator Brower’s frustration that I moved and am going to give him a competitive race when he was hoping for an easy election. I resigned my seat in Senate District 1 because I believed it was required when I moved out of that district by about a mile. I followed the rules. It was not an easy decision, but I believe it was the ethical decision.

“Now that we both live in Senate District 15, we’ll be able to present our constituents with a clear choice between someone who is committed to funding education and essential services and someone who chose to vote the extreme Tea Party-line to ensure he had the right kind of record for a Congressional primary,” Leslie said. “I think the voters will know who is really committed to the citizens of Washoe County.”

Brower was appointed to the Senate seat to replace the late Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, who resigned before the start of the 2011 session. Brower refused to speculate on his political future beyond 2012 when asked if he was considering a run for Nevada attorney general. Democrat Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will be termed out of office in 2014.

“I am 100 percent focused on getting elected to this Senate seat,” he said.

When asked by host Sam Shad if he would commit to a full four-year term in the Senate, Brower said: “I can’t predict the future, Sam, I just don’t know what is going to happen. I’m just not even going to think beyond 2012.”

Brower also defended Sandoval for his announcement last week that he would continue a package of expiring tax increases into the 2013-15 budget to avoid any further budget cuts to education. Brower voted against continuing the 2009 taxes in the 2011 session even though Sandoval supported the decision as a compromise to finalize the current budget.

“I think what the governor is trying to do is move this state forward,” he said. “And that means leadership on real issues like the budget. And I think that’s what we saw last week and that’s what we’re going to continue to see. And to the extent this governor is going to take a leadership role in moving this state forward, I stand solidly behind him.”

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Audio clips:

Sen. Greg Brower says Sheila Leslie quit on her constituents:

031912Brower1 :17 for Washoe County.”

Brower says her resignation makes him question her commitment to the residents of Washoe County:

031912Brower2 :20 in Washoe County.”

Brower says he stands behind Gov. Brian Sandoval’s decision to extend a tax package into the next budget to avoid cuts to education:

031912Brower3 :20 solidly behind him.”