Nevada's GOP must be reeling following a decision by Carson City Sen. Mark Amodei on Monday not to run for Attorney General as a replacement candidate for George Chanos. He was viewed by some as the best candidate available to keep the office in Republican control, but decided he could be more effective as a member of the state Senate.
It may be that GOP leaders will soon be taking out help-wanted ads for a suitable candidate. Because an office that a month ago that could have been considered safely Republican is now up for grabs. With less than eight months to the election, precious fundraising time is dwindling.
But it's probably best that Chanos isn't running.
He cited messy politics as a primary reason for running. He preferred, he said, to "work as a team" with both parties to effect change, but couldn't accomplish that.
We're sure GOP planners, now scrambling to find a replacement, would take issue with his credentials as a team player.
Even in announcing his decision, he couldn't resist a parting shot at Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, a Democrat, whom he had clashed with over her Canadian drug import legislation.
That Chanos did not seem to possess persistence, or the ability to compromise, makes his effectiveness in politics questionable. If politics is becoming as partisan and personal as he claims, then the people we need to elect are those who can put aside the posturing and personal attacks and speak from the heart toward one goal - working for the interests of Nevadans.
We hope the candidate the Republicans put on the ticket against Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto has an abundance of those traits.