Three rural GOP file for re-election

Three rural Assemblymen who represent all or part of 14 Nevada counties joined to file for re-election Tuesday.

Pete Goicoechea, a Eureka rancher; Tom Grady of Yerington; and Pahrump grocery store manager Rod Sherer were all members of the Republican tax holdouts during the 2003 Legislature. And all said Tuesday their constituents support their efforts to hold down the size of the tax increase.

"It took longer than it should have, but my area was doing somersaults that we voted the way we did," said Sherer, 39, of District 36.

"We represent a lot of conservative Nevadans and most felt, if it took us another year, they would have been happy we held out," said District 35's Goicoechea, 54.

Grady, 64, said it's doubtful any new tax proposals will come up this next Legislature, but that "we're going to have to tweak some of the things we passed last session."

They believe growth and water are the key issues for rural Nevadans.

"Water's the big issue. We don't want to use water to stabilize the economy," said Goicoechea, referring to efforts by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to tap into water rights and reserves in eastern and central Nevada.

He said the big danger will come if the south gets a pipeline built.

"Once the infrastructure is in place to move that water, then Southern Nevada will start buying private water rights."

Rural officials have long worried that, if their water is taken by Southern Nevada, they'll be unable to develop economically.

Grady and Sherer said water is also key in their areas.

But Sherer said the big issue in his district is the approach of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, which he believes is inevitable.

"We're making deals with the devil right now," he said. "I think we should have stepped forward earlier."

He said waiting may have cost Nevada the ability to get as much compensation from the federal government as the state deserves for Yucca.

Of the three, only Goicoechea has a prominent opponent at this point. Fallon Democrat Marcia de Braga, whom Goicoechea defeated two years ago, has announced she will try reclaim seat.

The three men represent all or part of every county in the state, except Douglas, Clark and Elko.

Goicoechea is the only rancher left in the Assembly and is a 16-year veteran of the Eureka County Commission. Grady retired as executive director of the Nevada League of Cities - a post he took after serving 12 years as Yerington mayor. He won the District 38 seat after Joe Dini retired two years ago.

Sherer's first elected office was the Assembly District 36 seat he won in 2002.

The other two rural incumbents - Republicans John Marvel of Battle Mountain and John Carpenter of Elko - filed for re-election Monday.