Source: Kihuen might run for re-election after all

Schwartz releases 2 ads aimed at GOP foe Laxalt

U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen, who said in December that he will not seek re-election after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment and repeated unwanted sexual advances, is reconsidering his decision.

A Democrat operative in Washington told the

Las Vegas Review-journal that Kihuen is keeping “all options open.” The freshman Democrat representing Nevada’s 4th Congressional District reportedly reached out to Culinary Local 226, which propelled him to victory in 2016, and former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid to gauge their support.

Neither the union nor Reid responded to requests for comment.

The House Ethics Committee announced Dec. 21, 2017 that it would establish an investigative subcommittee to review allegations of sexual misconduct by Kihuen. The investigative panel was installed on Jan. 2.

NARAL Pro-choice Nevada was one of numerous groups to call on Kihuen to resign after the allegations came to light in December. The group repeated that stance Wednesday.

“In case we weren’t clear enough the first time, we will reiterate our message to Rep. Ruben Kihuen: no means NO,” director Caroline Mello Roberson said in a statement.

Schwartz ads attack Laxalt

Nevada Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Schwartz launched a pair of 15-second television ads this week, boasting that he can fix education and attacking opponent Adam Laxalt as an “empty suit.”

One ad blasts Laxalt, considered the front-runner for the GOP nomination, as beholden to special interests, saying he’s “taken money from just about every lobbyist and big casino in town.”

Laxalt campaign spokesman Andy Matthews said Laxalt has nearly 3,000 volunteers across the state.

“We prefer to let the thousands of grass-roots supporters who are enthusiastic about Adam’s vision for Nevada and joining our grass-roots team — the one we’re building to be better than any other this state has ever seen — respond on behalf of our campaign,” Matthews said in an email.

The second ad claims Schwartz can fix education in the Silver State.

“Despite millions spent and a huge tax hike, Nevada’s schools are last in America,” the ad starts out, before finishing with with “Dan Schwartz will fix it.”

Coming after Cegavske

A national voter rights organization accused Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske of “purging” progressive voters in an attempt to further her Republican agenda.

Cegavske said the accusations are “completely untrue” and “demonstrably false.”

ivote, a group that advocates for equal voting rights, claims voters were deleted from Nevada’s official registration list after they failed to return address confirmation postcards sent by the DMV. The decision, officials said, was spearheaded by Cegavske.

“Nevada is a transient state and many voters move residences between elections but they should not be required to contact an obscure governmental agency in order to maintain their registration and not be purged from voting in the next election,” said Jeremy Bird, a member of ivote’s board of directors.

Bird said his organization is planning “a six-figure independent campaign to remove” Cegavske from office. She is running for re-election against Democrat Nelson Araujo.