Prominent names vying for Nevada secretary of state post

Two candidates with big name recognition are running in Nevada's secretary of state race - but a prominent name might not be enough in one of next month's primary contests.

Republican Danny Tarkanian, son of former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, is in a tough primary battle against businessman Brian Scroggins, former chairman of the Clark County Republican Party.

Tarkanian, who lost a state Senate race two years ago, may have the well-known name. But Scroggins, a Brigham Young University graduate, has the backing of some elected Republican officials.

Democrat Ross Miller, son of former Gov. Bob Miller, also is in the race for secretary of state - but has an easier primary against Roderick Boyd, a convention coordinator and former cabbie who is described in the state party's candidate information as a political "little guy."

The winners of their respective Aug. 15 primary contests will face off in the general election, along with Independent American Party's Janine Hansen of Elko.

The secretary of state oversees Nevada elections, various corporate records and the state's Securities Fraud Division. The term-limited incumbent Republican, Dean Heller, is running for Congress.

If Tarkanian is elected Nevada's top elections official, he says he'll push for a requirement that voters show proof of citizenship when they register to vote and show a state identification card, such as a driver's license, when they go to the polls. He's opposed to letting people register to vote through Election Day.

A lawyer who started his own firm and co-founded a development company, Tarkanian was the captain and starting point guard on his father's top-ranked team at UNLV in 1984. He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs.

He was an assistant coach to his father at Fresno State in 1995. He returned to Las Vegas in 2002 and founded the nonprofit Tarkanian Basketball Academy.

Scroggins, owner of a sign company in Las Vegas, says he'd run the office like a business, try to protect senior citizens from securities fraud, fight identity theft, run clean elections and ensure Nevada remains business-friendly.

He opposes same-day voter registration and isn't opposed to making people prove their citizenship before they vote, but fears the costs of an ID card would be too great and turn into a bureaucratic "boondoggle."

Scroggins has worked in promotions for two Las Vegas newspapers, as a spokesman for the Las Vegas Valley Water District and a marketer for developer Rhodes Homes. He was chairman of the Clark County Republican Party from 2003 to 2005.

Miller, a Las Vegas attorney, wants tougher penalties for politicians who break campaign finance laws and a more centralized vote-by-mail system.

Under his proposal, major violations of state campaign contribution laws would become felonies, rather than civil violations, and public officials would be required to file all contribution and expense reports electronically. Contributions of more than $100 made in the month before the primary and general elections would have to be reported within two days.

Miller's plan also would impose felony penalties for intimidating voters and interfering with voter registration, and increase felony penalties for tampering with election equipment and registering to vote in more than one county.

Nineteen states require voters to show identification, but only five request photo ID, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and South Dakota allow voters without a photo ID to use other forms of identification or sign an affidavit of identity.

Miller also would reform the initiative process to require the secretary of state, not the backers of an initiative, to write the title and description of a proposed petition. Failed initiatives couldn't appear on the ballot again for six years, and constitutional amendments would need two-thirds of the vote in two consecutive elections to pass.

Boyd, of Las Vegas, says he would work to speed up voting and to eliminate voter fraud by enhancing security for electronic voting. He also wants to broaden initiatives to bring new businesses and jobs into Nevada.

While it's not part of the secretary of state's responsibilities, Boyd also says he'd like to see a cap on auto insurance rates and reforms in the state Taxicab Authority.