Republican state Sen. Warren Hardy (R-Las Vegas) has decided not to risk running for re-election after voting for the Billion Dollar Tax Hike this legislative session. This is not exactly surprising, as the odds of Sen. Hardy surviving any credible GOP primary challenge after his votes this session to sock it to Nevada’s tourists, residents and small business owners in the middle of a recession were rather low.
The all-Democrat Clark County Commission would get to appoint Sen. Hardy’s replacement – who would have to be a Republican. But since that Republican need not be a conservative, odds are they’d appoint sitting state Assemblyman Joe Hardy (R-Boulder City) – the last remaining Republican in the Assembly who voted for the ginormous 2003 tax hike, as well as one of the seven assembly Republicans who voted for the $232 million room tax hike this session.
However, the plan is for the seat to remain vacant unless Gov. Gibbons calls a special session between now and the 2010 election. In the meantime, Joe Hardy has announced he intends to run for Warren Hardy’s seat and Warren Hardy has already endorsed Joe Hardy in the race. RINOs protect their own.
