ELECTION 2010: Settelmeyer, Livermore, Grady defeat opponents

Gardnerville Republican James Settelmeyer won the Republican nomination to replace termed-out Mark Amodei in the Capital Senate District in a runaway Tuesday.

His vote total through the evening held steady at about four times that of his opponent Steve Yeater.

Settelmeyer will move from the Assembly, where he has served two terms, to the Senate.

In that seat, he said he would "fight for conservative ideas and absolutely try to address the budget problems of this state rather than what we've always done."

He said the state can't afford added programs and, when the economy recovers and Nevada is again seeing surplus funds, they must be put into covering the state's commitment in employee benefits.

"If there's a surplus, we have to put it toward PERS (the Public Employee Retirement System) and PEBP (the Public Employee Benefits System) until they are 85 percent funded," said Settelmeyer. "We can't keep kicking that can down the road."

He will face Democrat Kevin Ranft, a union representative for the Department of Corrections, and Cody Quirk, the Independent American Party candidate, in the general.

There were also several GOP Assembly contests in western Nevada.

In Carson City's Assembly District 40 - vacated by retiring Democrat Bonnie Parnell - Supervisor Pete Livermore won the right to face Democrat and Carson Supervisor Robin Williamson in the general, beating both Amy Clemens and Lynda Upton by a wide margin.

Three term incumbent Tom Grady of Yerington beat Gary Gladwill in the District 38 Republican primary with nearly three-quarters of the vote. He will face IAP candidate Dennis Gomez in the general.

In the District 39 race to fill Settelmeyer's Douglas County seat, Kelly Kite was the victor with about a third of the vote. He will face Democrat Joetta Brown and the IAP's David Schumann in the general.

In Washoe Senate 4, the seat vacated by term-limited Randolph Townsend of Reno, Assemblyman Ty Cobb - a veteran of two terms in that house - faced a tough challenge from newcomer Ben Kieckhefer for the GOP nomination. Kieckhefer initially had a very narrow lead which increased steadily through the night. Kieckhefer won 42 percent to 37 percent.