opinion

Sisolak's attacking me because he can't defend his record: Chris G

I’m a middle-school special education teacher who’s been involved with education for more than 40 years. I taught my students to be honest and to demonstrate integrity in everything they did. Sadly, my Democratic primary opponent hasn’t learned that lesson.

Steve Sisolak is grasping at straws because he can’t defend his record. He’s been on the wrong side of core Democratic issues like gun reform — he’s even said people consider him a “liberal Republican” and launched his campaign as a “moderate” and “middle-of-the-road.”

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He’s trying to distract from what this primary is really about. Normally, I’d ignore desperate and dishonest political attacks but since this one is a shameful attack on my late husband, I want to set the record straight.

My late husband Gary was a Democratic political consultant and ran his own small business. Over the years, he ran more than 250 Democratic campaigns — including Steve Sisolak’s. Gary charged his clients a monthly retainer. He would also pay for things like polling, advertising, printing and office supplies, and then invoice his clients for the exact amounts he paid for these expenses. Steve knows this because he was billed the exact same way. I’ve made my invoices publicly available to the press.

Despite false claims to the contrary, my husband did not make $1 million on my campaigns. Not even close. To suggest this is ridiculous.

Steve has singled out my 2006 race for commissioner, pointing out that it was by far my most expensive campaign up to that point. He even implied that this had something to do with Gary and I moving into our home that year. We did move that year — my mom was moving back so we needed a bit more space.

We bought the house by taking out a large mortgage. Steve is a multimillionaire who sued the taxpayers for $23 million, so maybe he doesn’t remember how this works.

Of course that campaign was the most expensive I had ever run. (Previously, I was running for re-election to the Assembly. Everyone knows that beating a sitting elected official is tougher to do. And significantly more expensive.) The campaign money went where it was supposed to go — into allowing us to speak with voters about our progressive vision. That is how we won that campaign — making me only the second person to defeat an incumbent county commissioner.

Unlike Steve Sisolak’s bizarre and false accusations, I’m focused on speaking with voters about the future and making our state better for all Nevadans.

Steve is attempting to take this race into the gutter because it’s his only path to win. I won’t let him.

I lost Gary three years ago. I’m still grieving, but I emerged stronger and I know I still have a lot left to give. I’m running for governor because there’s so much I want to get done.

We have some of the most underfunded schools in the country — as an educator, fixing this will be at the top of my agenda.

Steve and I have legitimate differences. I was the only vote against the $750 million giveaway to NFL multimillionaires. I voted against letting a big corporate developer put thousands of houses at the edge of Red Rock; Steve voted with the developer after a taking a max-out contribution from the developer’s company. And Steve earned an A-minus from the NRA.

So, when Steve attacks my late husband, know that it’s because he just doesn’t want to talk about his record.

Chris Giunchigliani is a Clark County commissioner and Democratic candidate for Nevada governor.