Officials in Douglas County's executive branch plan to return

Douglas County's entire executive branch will be running for election next year.

Some members will be seeking election to their offices for the first time, while others are old hands.

From law enforcement to keeping track of Douglas County's documents members of the executive branch include the sheriff, district attorney, assessor, clerk-treasurer, recorder, public administrator, and constable.

It will be the first election for Clerk-Treasurer Ted Thran and Recorder Karen Ellison. Both were appointed after longtime officials Barbara Griffin and Werner Christen retired from their positions.

District Attorney Mark Jackson will be seeking his second term in office when filing takes place in March.

Assessor Doug Sonnemann will be seeking his third term in office. He was elected in 2002.

Sheriff Ron Pierini will be seeking a fourth term. The 36-year veteran of the sheriff's office was appointed to his position in 1997.

Public Administrator Lynn EnEarl is also seeking a fourth term in the position.

The longest-serving Douglas County official who plans on seeking re-election in 2010 is East Fork Constable Paul Gilbert, who was first elected in 1982.

With the exception of sheriff, all executive branch offices are partisan and all are held by Republicans.

Unlike the legislative branch, members of the executive branch of government are not subject to Nevada's term limit laws.

On the legislative side, Douglas County commissioner Dave Brady has announced he will seek another term. Brady was appointed to replace Jacques Etchegoyhen and won the office in his own right in 2006. This will be his last term under term limits.

Commission Chairwoman Nancy McDermid has not yet announced her intentions for 2010. If she chooses to run for re-election it would be her second term. Both Brady and McDermid are Republicans.

No members of Douglas County's judicial branch are up for election in 2010.

Two school board members, Sharla Hales and Tom Moore, said they plan to seek another term in 2010. Board member Keith Roman, who was elected in 2000 to a two-year term and then re-elected in 2002 and 2006, will be the first school board member subject to term limits.

Candidate filing will be March 1-12, with the primary to be held on June 8.

Nevada has a closed primary system, so only members of a particular party can vote on that party's candidate.

Should two members of the same party be the only candidates, their election will be decided in the general election.

In all 32,505 people are registered to vote in Douglas County as of Dec. 1. Of those, 16,504 are Republicans, 9,443 are Democrats and 6,630 are nonpartisan or members of other parties.