Incumbents take early leads in regent, state Board of Education contests

CARSON CITY - Incumbent university Regent Mark Alden took an early lead against two challengers Tuesday in a battle to keep his job on the board that runs Nevada's public universities.

In Board of Education races, incumbent Dave Cook was leading in early returns against two challengers, while John Hawk led early in a three-way race for an open seat.

Alden was opposed by computer executive Jim Ratigan and textbook writer Wallace Hill Best in Subdistrict 2D, a southern Nevada district of the Board of Regents.

In early returns, Alden had 4,970 votes, or 56 percent, while Ratigan had 2,502 votes, or 28 percent, and Best had 1,326 votes, or 15 percent.

The top two vote-getters advance to the general election. Two other regent contests will go before the voters in the general election but were not included in the primary because they had fewer than than three candidates.

Alden and Ratigan budgeted about $100,000 each in their campaigns for a six-year term.

Best said he could beat both of his opponents in the battle for the unpaid, nonpartisan job with a mere $25,000 by walking door to door.

Ratigan criticized Alden over what he said were improprieties with the regents' audit committee following a recent investigation into missing community college computers.

Alden, a certified public accountant, rejected the accusation and said he is the most knowledgeable regent when it comes to budget questions about the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Alden, 56, a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, and Ratigan, 47, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduate, both favored building a new state college in Henderson.

In the November general election, incumbent Dave Phillips faces Linda C. Howard in Subdistrict 2a,and regents' chairwoman Jill Talbot Derby of Gardnerville is running unopposed in Subdistrict 3B.

In the nonpartisan state Board of Education election, the only primary races were in subdistricts 2D and 3B.

Vying for the Subdistrict 2D seat were Edward Goldman, an assistant superintendent for Clark County schools; John Hawk, a high school teacher, and John E. Scott II, Nevada's federal Small Business Administration district director. All are from Henderson.

With 9 percent of precincts reporting, Hawk led with 3,392 votes, or 38 percent, followed by Goldman with 3,001 votes, or 34 percent, and Scott with 2,521 votes, or 28 percent.

In the Board of Education District 3B, Carson City incumbent Dave Cook faced Barbara Myers of Carson City and Michelle Trusty-Murphy of Minden.

With 9 percent of precincts reporting, Cook led with 2,205 votes,or 50 percent, compared with 1,474 votes, or 33 percent, for Myers and 767 votes, or 17 percent, for Trusty-Murphy.

The top two vote-getters in both contests will advance to the November general election for a final shot at the four-year posts.