Two newcomers to state political office, Republican Clint Brown and Democrat Reuben D’Silva, will face off in the general election in the 28th Assembly District on Las Vegas’ east side.
Brown, owner of an auto repair business and Auto Care Plus emissions station, and D’Silva, a Rancho High School history teacher, will compete for the seat vacated by Democratic Assemblyman Edgar Flores, who resigned to run for office. for the State Senate. .
D’Silva won the Democratic primary, receiving 64 percent of the vote in a four-person race.
clint brown
“I don’t really consider myself any kind of politician,” Brown said of entering the race.
Brown said he considered running for office in previous election cycles and made the decision to enter the 28th District race when he found the Democratic nominee would be unopposed and wanted to give voters a choice.
He has lived and worked in the district for more than 30 years.
Brown said he would stand firm on his personal values and philosophies, but would be open to discussing them with lawmakers across the political aisle.
“I’m not one to compromise my own values and my own ideals because, first and foremost, I’m a man of faith, so I actually see that kind of value system as a priority,” Brown said. “Wherever I can in between those things, I’d love to be able to work with the other side of the aisle as much as possible.”
When asked which political figure he most admired, Brown didn’t hesitate.
“Because of my faith, the Lord Jesus Christ has been the best political figure to look up to,” he said. “In his day, he was rebellious and considered outside the box.”
Brown said he has no intention of becoming a career politician.
Plan a grassroots campaign by rallying voters in your neighborhood. He said that he does not seek political backing.
“They (those who support the candidates) are not governed by beliefs and values,” he said. “They are guided by who they think is going to win.”
Ruben D’Silva
As a teacher, it’s no surprise that D’Silva makes education a top priority in his bid for the Assembly seat.
“Education made a difference in my life,” he said. “He is the great equalizer in America.”
Born in Mumbai, India, to immigrant parents, D’Silva attended Rancho High and studied at the College of Southern Nevada and UNLV and earned advanced degrees at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.
“When it comes to education, it’s inherently and symbiotically tied to the growth of this economy,” D’Silva said. “If you want a strong education system for the long term, like 10, 20 or 30 years, you have to be tied to some kind of game plan, not just us as legislators and not just the governor, but the state as a whole.”
He served as a US Marine and spent a year in a hospital after being wounded in action in Fallujah, Iraq, for which he received a Purple Heart and Naval Achievement medal.
Although a Democrat, D’Silva said he most admires Republican President Abraham Lincoln for his work in reunifying the nation after the Civil War. He believes that level of engagement is necessary to heal some of the political divisions that currently exist in the United States.
While the District 28 race is his first for statewide office, D’Silva ran an unsuccessful Democratic primary campaign against Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., in 2018.
D’Silva has been endorsed by state Sen. Mo Denis, North Las Vegas Councilman Isaac Baron and former Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly.
The district currently has a lopsided registration advantage for Democrats: 13,000 active registered voters versus just 4,000 active registered Republicans, according to figures compiled by the secretary of state’s office.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at [email protected] or 702-477-3893. To follow @RickVelotta On twitter.