Veterans re-file for legislative seats

Nevada's three longest serving legislators have now all filed for re-election.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, filed Monday for an unprecedented 10th term.

He said it will be his final term if he wins.

He looks forward to again serving as Senate Majority Leader and chairman of the Finance Committee.

Should he win the seat and complete that term, Raggio will have a record 40 years service in the Senate.

Elko rancher Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, filed for a seventh term in the Senate Tuesday. He also served three terms in the Assembly for a total of 30 years in the Legislature, which is the third-longest total service among current lawmakers.

Assemblyman John Marvel, 81, and a 30-year veteran of the Legislature, filed Monday morning.

Raggio said the state is facing "severe challenges" with declining revenues forcing major budget reductions.

He said when the 2009 Legislature convenes, "we will again face the prospect of limited revenues and increasing needs in programs and services due to growth."

Raggio, 81, said he is up to the task, adding that it is essential Northern Nevada continue to have strong and experienced leadership to deal with the state's problems.

Rhoads, 72, said he will continue to focus on rural issues, particularly water.

"I want to make sure there's enough water left for rural development in the future," he said.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is continuing its efforts to get permission to transfer water from rural Nevada to feed growth in the Las Vegas area.

"I want to make sure that when those wells start getting lower, that the water engineer will step in and stop it or slow it down," he said.

Rhoads said rural Nevada also needs help battling the increasing number of wildfires which have devastated the range in the past three years. He said volunteer fire departments need help getting equipment to battle those blazes.

And Rhoads said he will work to get the seed money to bring daily Elko-Reno air service put back in the budget. That $500,000 was just days away from being spent when Rhoads says Gov. Jim Gibbons took it as part of his budget reductions. He said the deal was just about finished to bring Vision Airlines to the Elko airport.

At present, the only scheduled air service to Elko goes to Salt Lake City, not Reno. Rhoads said that means five hours to get from Elko to Reno by air and even longer to get to Las Vegas.

In addition, James Settelmeyer of Gardnerville filed for a second term representing District 39.

The district covers all of Douglas County, parts of Carson City and the Tahoe Basin portions of Washoe County.

Settelmeyer is a Republican and member of one of the Carson Valley's oldest and most prominent ranching families.

Tom Grady of Yerington, also a Republican, filed for his fourth term representing District 38. The district includes Lyon and Storey counties as well as portions of eastern Carson City and Churchill County.

Pete Goicoechea filed for his fourth term as well. He represents District 35, which covers White Pine, Eureka and Pershing counties and parts of Washoe, Humboldt , Churchill, Lander and Lyon counties.. Goicoechea, like Rhoads, is a rancher.

Finally, Michael Nance of Sparks added his name to the list of Republicans seeking to oust veteran John Marvel in District 32. The district includes portions of Humboldt, Lander and Washoe counties. There are now four Republicans in the race.