Nevada Appeal Candidate Guide: U.S. Senate: Democrats

The U.S. Senate seat is a six-year term. Voters are asked to vote for one candidate. The winner of this race will represent the Democratic Party on the November ballot against the winner of the Republican primary.

DEMOCRATS

Shelley Berkley

Residence: Las Vegas

Occupation: Congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives

Age: 61

Contact: info@shelleyberkley.com; 702-483-9014; www.shelleyberkley.com

Education: JD, University of San Diego School of Law; BA, Political Science, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking:

Nearly 50 years ago, my family came to Nevada in search of a better life. My father found a job as a waiter and on a waiter's salary, he put food on our table, a roof over our heads and helped put two daughters through college. These are the same opportunities that Nevada's middle-class families seek today. Unfortunately, these tough economic times make them difficult to achieve.

I'm running for the United States Senate because it's long past time that Washington stood up for Nevada's middle-class families, not push Wall Street's agenda here in the state. Our top priorities must be creating good paying jobs that stay in America, protecting Social Security and Medicare, delivering for our veterans, cutting taxes for the middle-class and small businesses and helping keep families in their homes.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

With one of the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates in the nation, Nevada families are counting on their senators in Washington to be fighting on their side - not on the side of out-of-state Wall Street special interest groups. 

In order to get our economy back on track, we need to give small businesses the tools to begin hiring again, take advantage of our state's natural resources to become the clean energy jobs capital of America, defend Medicare and Social Security from any attempts to cut the programs, provide additional assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes, end tax credits for corporations that ship American jobs overseas and keep our promises to Nevada's veterans.

Why should voters choose you over the other candidates?

There is a clear choice in this election between my commitment to Nevada's middle-class families and Senator Dean Heller's pro-Wall Street, anti middle-class agenda. 

While I'm working to create jobs that stay here in the United States, Senator Heller is voting to continue tax breaks for corporations that ship American jobs to China, India and Mexico.

While I'm fighting to protect seniors, Senator Heller said he was "proud" to vote twice to end Medicare by turning it over to private insurance in order to pay for more taxpayer giveaways to the Big Oil companies.

While I'm focusing on improving services that Nevada veterans have earned, Senator Heller has voted to gut funding to help homeless veterans find a home. 

I'm running for the United States Senate to fight for Nevada's middle-class and to stand up to the Wall Street corporations, greedy private insurance companies and Big Oil executives. 

Steve Brown

Residence: Las Vegas

Occupation: Business owner

Age: 56

Contact: stevebrown4senate@yahoo.com; 702-502-4216; www.stevebrown4senate.comEducation

Education: Cook High school; U.S. Army

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

I understand what it is like to own a small business. I understand the tax code, and how unfair it is to the small business owner. There are over 17 million sole proprietors in the U.S.? When did you last hear a politician even mention "sole proprietor?"

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

Do you realize that when a small business owner makes 1 dollar in net profits, they are now in a higher effective tax bracket than Mitt Romney? But you know who always gets the tax breaks. Big business and the rich get the gold mine; small business people get the shaft. I want to change that with major tax cuts for small business people. We can't afford to give out the tax cuts for the rich like Romney wants to give. But we can't afford not to give some breaks for the small business owner.

Why should voters choose you over the other candidates?

The biggest reason I deserve to be elected on 12 June, is because I'm the only candidate who has an actual plan to balance the budget. It does require some sacrifice, but that's nothing compared to the sacrifice our children and grandchildren will endure if we don't stop the reckless spending quickly. The government projects that in 2017 we will spend $550 billion on interest on the national debt. That amount is almost double from 2011, and is increasing rapidly every year. The longer we wait to cut spending, the worse the cuts will be.

I'm against the War on Drugs, the endless war in the Middle East, the Patriot Act, and NDAA.

I'm in favor of major tax cuts for small business people, Dream Act, Gay Marriage, and legalizing marijuana.

Check out stevebrown4senate.com

Barry Ellsworth

Residence: Las Vegas

Occupation: Investor

Age: 58

Contact: info@barryellsworth.us; 702.524.8928; www.barryellsworth.us

Education: BA from Brigham Young University

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

After graduating from college I went to law school long enough to know that I didn't want to practice law for a living and so I withdrew from the school. Shortly thereafter, I became a stock broker at Dean Witter Reynolds, and have been involved in the financial arena in one form or another since then. In 2004, I started what is now the fourth largest ethanol company in the world. I personally wrote the registration statement submitted to the SEC. I raised the majority of the money to build the first two plants for the company. I applied to NASDAQ to get the company trading. So to say I understand the markets and securities laws quite well would possibly be an understatement. There is no doubt in my mind that I understand the markets/finance better than anyone else in Congress and the majority of our problems are financial.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

Breaking up the too big to fail banks and reinstating Glass Steagall. Repealing the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy and balancing the budget by slashing government spending starting with the Defense Department.

Why should voters choose you over the other candidates?

Because there isn't another candidate running that understands what needs to be done to solve the problems. As far as Shelley Berkley goes, she voted for every bill that created our problems, which means she is completely incompetent or corrupt.

Louis Macias

Residence: Las Vegas

Occupation: Art auctioneer/dealer

Age: 64

Contact: http://louismacias.com/; 702 997-2576; louis@louismacias.com

Education: University of California, Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

I believe this job requires a background in education, experience and travel. I qualify through the following. I hold a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, graduated at the top of my class, and am a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Alpha Chapter. I attended the PhD Program in Political Science for two years. I actually worked in the U.S. Senate. I was a Legislative Assistant to Senator Ted Kennedy, the Watergate Summer. I have traveled the world visiting almost 100 countries, and understand different countries, and am comfortable with world issues. Most of all, I am a patriotic American, and a Vietnam Era veteran with an honorable discharge. I have worked in the private sector for 20 years, and in the public sector for 5. I have been a resident of Nevada since 1996.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

Middle-class jobs, and stopping the unnecessary war in the Middle East. The two are tied together, a war in the Middle East would completely debilitate our recovery, it would cost hundreds of billions and eventually, trillions, both, in increased gas prices as well as in direct costs for our arms and troops, and veterans benefits and rehabilitation. The U.S. is not being threatened, we could destroy Iran with the push of a button, but we could get tricked into a war before we know it, and that is what we must prevent.

We must get into manufacturing to create middle class jobs, but "next generation manufacturing," and to get those jobs we need to develop new age craftsmen, highly trained in computerization and robotics using our junior colleges and private for profit funding. There are more issues covered on my website: http://louismacias.com/

Why should voters choose you over the other candidates?

The affects of my policies cannot be matched, and that is why you should choose me over the other candidates. Judge for yourself, my policies will have the following affects. I create good middle class jobs, and in addition I will also create a "next generation manufacturing" sector for Nevada. I will also stop the unnecessary and misguided war in the Middle East. With your help, we will save countless lives and trillions of dollars. I will organize a national effort for autism, apprentice programs for high school students, remove foreclosures and short sales from your next home loan application if you were caught in the mortgage crises, we will get out of Afghanistan and Iraq now, and prevent unconstitutional wars in the future.

Nancy Price

Residence: Sparks

Occupation: Retired Military

Age: 70

Contact: naprice@att.net; 775-351-1169; www.nancypriceforcongress.com

Education: Truckee Meadows Community College; Western Nevada Community College AA; Community College of the Air Force AA, AS; University of Nevada, Las Vegas BA, MA; University of Nevada, Reno completed class work for Ph.D.

Explain your background and how this qualifies you for the position you are seeking.

Marketing Nevada Bell: I was there when the Bell system went from a public utility to a competitive business that gave rise to the technology we enjoy today, but also raised cost substantially.

Broker Dean Witter: I worked on Wall Street for a short time and saw the culture of greed that led to this worldwide mortgage crisis.

Retired Chief Master Sergeant: Most of my 24 years was in Intelligence. I also did long-range planning for computers and communication, advised on human resources, taught and wrote curriculum on leadership for the Air Force and I traveled.

Elected Regent from 1992-1998: I received the Ethics in Government Award from Common Cause for my work on the Board. A medal for combat would have been appropriate.

Attended every legislative session from 1985-2004 assisting Assemblyman Bob Price. I learned how the game is played and won't be seduced by it.

What are the most important issues that you would address if elected?

I will argue to end the wars and that educated and healthy populations are elements of power. This power will "provide for the common defense" (against economic threat) and "promote the general welfare ... to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

Because money dominates both political parties and the media, I will continue to promote the Constitutional Amendment that clarifies to the Supreme Court that corporations are not people and money is not speech.

The top tax rate from 1945-1982 never fell much below 70 percent. We paid for the war and the middle class was strong. I will vote to raise taxes on income over $2 million a year while closing loopholes. I would not eliminate the deduction for mortgage interest or charity.

I will pursue criminal charges against Wall Street.

I will be a steward of the Constitution, the environment and the Internet.

Why should voters choose you over the other candidates?

Statistics show that the candidate with the most money wins 94 percent of the time. It is also well known that we have a 92 percent unfavorable opinion of Congress-both Republicans and Democrats. In the U. S. Senate race, we can defeat two in one election year and show the people of this country they do have the power in a Democracy. If you agree with Thomas Jefferson when he says we need a revolution periodically, then you have the power to have a peaceful revolution June 12 and again in November.