5 candidates for governor left out of Sunday debate

Organizers of a debate between gubernatorial hopefuls Rory Reid and Brian Sandoval defended their decision to exclude five minor party and nonpartisan candidates, saying Tuesday that they were using widely accepted criteria for participation.

Criteria was set by main sponsor KLAS-TV and limited participation to candidates who have raised at least $50,000 in campaign contributions and met one of three other requirements: receiving 10 percent of the vote in the June primary or a comparable previous election, or getting 10 percent support in a credible poll taken before Aug. 19.

"We are using criteria similar to what other broadcasters have used," said Ron Comings, KLAS news director.

Tom Axtell, general manager of co-sponsor Vegas PBS, also said "those particular criteria have been litigated and approved by the Supreme Court."

The televised debate Sunday night from Las Vegas will not include nonpartisan candidates Aaron Y. Honig and Eugene "Gino" DiSimone; Green Party candidate David Scott Curtis; Independent American Party candidate Floyd Fitzgibbons; and Libertarian Arthur Forest Lampitt Jr.

In a joint statement released Monday, they criticized the sponsors, which also include the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Fitzgibbons complained the criteria "just makes it absolutely impossible for anyone but a major party candidate to qualify." Reid is a Democrat; Sandoval is Republican.

Even if they did raise the required contributions, he and DiSimone said as minor party or nonpartisan candidates, they are not on the primary ballot and are not included in polling surveys.

The five excluded candidates also slammed Vegas PBS, which as a Public Broadcasting Service station receives some taxpayer funding.

"Public funding should not be used to prevent candidates for elected office from receiving equal time in public debate," the five candidates said.

Axtell said less than 12 percent of its total budget comes from federal funds.