Carson GOP invites Kay Bennett to leave Central Committee for endorsing Democrat

The Carson City Republican Central Committee is showing Kay Bennett the door because she endorsed a Democrat in this year's elections.

Carson GOP Chairman Joe DiLonardo said Tuesday the party's bylaws forbid supporting candidates from other political parties.

"She supported a candidate from a different party," he said. "She supported and gave accolades to Bonnie Parnell."

Parnell won a second term representing Assembly District 40 against Republican Jeannie Simons. One of her endorsements came from Bennett, longtime member of the Carson City Board of Supervisors.

"It was brought up at our board meeting and it was the consensus that it was contrary to our bylaws and contrary to our ideals," said DiLonardo.

He said a formal notification is being prepared to let Bennett know she's no longer eligible to participate in meetings of the 140-member Central Committee.

Bennett said her decision was based on her belief that Parnell has done a good job for Carson City and she was unconcerned by the party's rebuff.

"It doesn't matter because I haven't been a member of the central committee for a very long time, but they have not contacted me," she said.

"I thought this was the party of inclusion," she said. "We have an honest difference of opinion."

"As I stated in my letter of support for her, I felt Bonnie had worked very, very hard for Carson City," she said. "I felt in this particular case for that particular office that the incumbent was the better choice for Carson City."

Bennett said she is most likely transferring to the Lyon County GOP anyway because she and her husband Hale are spending more and more time there working on their airport development project.

DiLonardo said Bennett did "a lot of good for the community on the Board of Supervisors and made a great contribution to Carson City."

He said the action was the "consensus" of the central committee at its meeting a week ago.

Bennett said she sees the political landscape changing away from partisan battles.

"The days of hand-to-hand combat over ideological issues are over," she said. "If we're going to move forward, it's got to be on the basis of some reasonable compromise and respect for each other's point of view."