Gap between major parties narrows for '04 election

Nevada added nearly 10,000 new voters to its total registration in May and Democrats gained about 1,000 on the GOP.

Secretary of State Dean Heller said there are now 866,137 registered to vote in Nevada. Republicans list 358,321 and Democrats 348,190 - a difference of 10,131 compared to 11,573 a month earlier.

But the key in Nevada is still the nonpartisan voters who don't list any party. There are 129,913 in that category according to Heller. That is a gain of 1,444 from the April totals.

He credited, in part, interest in the numerous initiative petitions being circulated this election year. Those include plans to increase education funding, raise the minimum wage and legalize small amounts of marijuana, among others.

But Heller said, overall, he believes this year will bring new voters because Nevada is a key state in deciding the presidential race between George Bush and John Kerry and neither side is taking Nevada for granted. That's why Bush is in Reno for a campaign speech today and Kerry has visited Las Vegas twice so far.

Heller has already said he expects a record turnout in November.

After the nonpartisan vote, the next largest party registration in Nevada is the Independent American Party with 19,167 registered voters.

Of Nevada's 17 counties, only Mineral, White Pine and Clark counties have more registered Democrats than Republicans. But Clark has 70 percent of the state's population and 30,000 more Democrats than Republicans.

The GOP registration advantage is nearly 2:1 in Douglas County - 11,982 to 5,503 - and nearly that strong in Carson City 11,254 to 7,485. The Republican edge is 1,041 to 706 in Storey and 9,372 to 6,030 in Lyon.

In Nevada's three congressional districts, District 1 held by Democrat Shelley Berkley is solidly controlled by that party, 103,695 to 71,438. District 2 held by Republican Jim Gibbons is the opposite - solidly in the GOP camp, 162,339 to 121,026.

District 3 is more closely split with 124,496 Republicans and 123,446 Democrats. Freshman Jon Porter, R-Nev., holds that seat but faces a well-funded Democratic challenger in former casino executive Tom Gallagher of Las Vegas.

Contact Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.