As he has done every campaign season since he was originally elected, Assemblyman John Marvel of Battle Mountain was first in line to file as a candidate Monday morning.
Some in the party doubted that Marvel would return because of health problems that hospitalized him several times since the end of the 2007 session. But Marvel has recovered and is holding down his full legislative schedule once again.
First elected to represent District 32 in the 1979 session, Marvel is senior among Nevada's 42 Assembly members. He has served as minority floor leader, chairman of Ways and Means in 1985 and co-chair in 1995. He is a long time member of Ways and Means and the Interim Finance Committee.
Marvel is third in overall legislative seniority behind Senators Bill Raggio of Reno and Dean Rhoads of Tuscarora.
This year, the veteran Republican has already drawn two primary opponents. Eric Smith of Sparks is a newcomer to the race but Mike Weber of Reno has run unsuccessfully against Marvel in the past.
Weber was prominent at the GOP state convention two weeks ago when he took the podium after Chairman Bob Beers recessed the event as Ron Paul supporters threatened to take nearly all the national delegate seats. Weber attempted to get a quorum to restart the convention, saying if they could do that, they could remove Beers as chairman and elect a slate of national delegates.
They failed to get a quorum and had to give up.
Dean Heller also filed Monday, seeking his second term representing Nevada Congressional District 2, which covers nearly all of the state outside of Las Vegas. He too drew an opponent: Elko mining engineer and teacher John Everhart.
Everhart is a member of the Independent American Party who says his platform will be to follow the lead of Ron Paul.
Fallon Republican Mike McGinness filed for his fifth term in the Nevada Senate. He said he will continue to bring a rural voice to issues before the Nevada Legislature if returned to the Senate. His Central Nevada Senatorial District spans much of the state including Churchill, Esmeralda, Mineral and parts of Nye, Douglas, Lyon and Clark counties.
McGinness is chairman of Taxation and vice chairman of the Natural Resources committees.
Filing continues through May 16 for all non-judicial offices.
Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.