LAS VEGAS - An impromptu debate broke out Wednesday between Nevada's top candidates for governor when Democrat Rory Reid invited Republican Brian Sandoval to share the lectern for questions from an audience of contractors.
They took three questions, with the state's dismal last-in-the-nation ranking in education the first issue raised from a Nevada Subcontractors Association audience of about 150 at a casino-hotel in Las Vegas.
Reid, who is trailing by double-digits in the polls, has accused Sandoval of wanting to cut education and lay off one in five teachers in the cash-strapped state. Reid said Wednesday his own plan to revamp education top-to-bottom is essential to attracting new businesses to the state.
Consider the reaction of a company executive thinking about moving headquarters to Nevada when he learns Nevada schools are at the bottom in graduation and achievement, Reid said.
"And our answer is to cut even more?" he asked. "He's going to think we're out of our minds."
Sandoval, who topped incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons in the June primary, had a 50 percent to 31 percent lead over Reid in a recent statewide poll commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KLAS-TV.
Sandoval said he's been on a "due diligence" tour visiting 100 schools and 100 businesses around the state.
"It's not easy to talk about the fact we're last in the nation in graduation rates," he said. "We cannot accept that."
Both candidates agreed the state's public employee retirement system needs reform, and both promised the pro-business group that they'd do everything they can to attract jobs to the state with the highest unemployment rate in the nation: 14.2 percent in June.
"All we need is a leader with a plan to make that happen," Reid said.
Wednesday's campaign appearance before contractors, consultants, candidates, politicians and a state Supreme Court justice was the first since the primary that put Reid and Sandoval in the same room.
Reid, 47, chairman of the powerful Clark County Commission and son of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, drew an ace of spades to Sandoval's five of diamonds to determine who would speak first.
After weeks of accusing Sandoval of ducking offers to debate, Reid was clearly surprised when Sandoval accepted his challenge - "What do you say, come up here and answer a few questions?" - and joined him at the lectern.
Neither Sandoval nor Reid used the chance to fully detail how they intend to deal with a projected $3 billion shortfall in the next two-year state budget. That amounts to about half the current $6.8 billion spending plan. Both promise not to raise taxes.
Good-natured verbal sparring turned sharp when Reid told the audience the choice of the next Nevada governor wasn't a beauty contest. He accused Sandoval of "saying what's popular to say but impossible to do" and "grandstanding."
"I'm not going to allow you to stand up here and say I'm grandstanding," Sandoval replied.
Sandoval, 47, reminded the audience he resigned a lifetime appointment as a federal district court judge, calling it "a small price to pay" to run for governor.
He said stints as an elected state legislator and state attorney general, plus an appointed term as Nevada Gaming Commission chairman gave him insight in the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government.
"You need relationships to get things done," Sandoval said, appealing to the audience to pick the candidate "who's going to look you in the eye ... and be honest with the people of Nevada."
Sandoval and Reid are expected to debate at least three times before the November election. Education is due to be the topic of the first event Aug. 29 in Las Vegas.
Dates for other debates in Reno and Elko have not been set.
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