LAS VEGAS -- After very little sleep, gubernatorial candidate Brian Sandoval returned to the campaign trail one day after the Primary Election.
Sandoval is the frontrunner going into the General Election. In person, Sandoval is everything you hear he is. He is charismatic, articulate and conservative. The former federal judge insists there is no scenario under which he would raise taxes. He argues that the budget must be balanced with cuts and everything is on the table except economic development.
Less than 12 hours after his jubilant acceptance in Reno, Sandoval is in Las Vegas conveying his platform to local media. Recent polls name him the front runner for the state's highest office yet the experienced politician has no plans to rest. And despite suggestions by some pundits, that he will need a more moderate message to win the General Election, Sandoval insists he has no plans to edge left.
"In terms of the positions I've taken during my primary campaign, that's always been very consistent with my conviction," Sandoval said.
The man poised to be Nevada's first Hispanic governor assumes a hard line on illegal immigration. Sandoval opposes amnesty and advocates penalties for employers who hire the undocumented and supports Arizona's controversial new anti-immigration law. Sandoval however stops short of endorsing the legislation for Nevada.
"We are two different states and we are not a border state, we do not have the public safety issues that Arizona has. There may be parts of the Arizona law that could be useful here, but I think it's important you don't just step into something. You talk to law enforcement, you speak with the Hispanic community before you wholesale import one law to one state from another."
Sandoval has adopted the party-line however when it comes to taxes. Quite simply -- there won't be any new ones. Like his predecessor, should he be elected, Sandoval pledges to veto any effort by lawmakers to balance the budget with tax increases.
"I think that raising taxes at this time would be devastating. We're in the midst of high unemployment, we're in the midst of one of the worst recessions we've ever had. It's very important as we just discussed to attract new business to our state and I think that is the pathway to prosperity for this state is to attract new businesses."
Economic development, according to Sandoval, is the key to the state's economic recovery. And he insists, as governor, he will meet with business leaders personally to attract them to the Silver State.
Sandoval says concerns about an unskilled workforce can be addressed with customized programs at the community college level. And the candidate refuses to "indict" Nevada's K - 12 education system.
"People like to make these broad statements and broad brushes with regard to education in our state and you see how capable and how committed the teachers are, how the principals are, and they understand we are having difficult economic times. They just want to have the ability and the autonomy to deliver the best education possible for their student populations."
Sandoval says education is on the table for possible cuts alongside every other state funded service. He believes allowing principals and teachers at the individual school level to decide how to spend the resources they do receive is the key to improving education.
