Mesquite, NV, June 12, 2018
Former Virgin Valley Water Board member Sandra Ramaker will attempt to unseat Mesquite City Councilman Geno Withelder in upcoming November election.
Withelder, a 10-year veteran of the City Council, received 1,279 (36.72%) over Ramaker’s 1,258 (36.12%) in the June 12 primary. Kay Mercer received 946 (27.16%) in the three-person race for City Council Seat 1.
Political newcomer Ann (Annie) Black collected 1,669 (47.44%) of the votes for Mesquite City Council seat 4. She will face another first time political actor Karen Fielding in the November election. Fielding took 948 (26.95%) votes in the primary. Retired businessman Chuck Kruder came close to Fielding with 901 (25.61%) of the votes. Richard Green, the incumbent for Seat 4, declined to run.
Both Ramaker and Withelder are active in local politics. Withelder, a 10-year veteran of the City Council will need to defend his support for gifting of $732,615.83 of tax payer dollars to the Mesquite Regional Business (MRB) to “privatize” city economic development activities formerly performed by city employees. He recused himself from a council vote on the sale of land to 333 Eagle Landing for the development of a Pilot Flying J truck stop on the outskirts of Mesquite. Once recused, he acted as a broker in the sale. Further, Withelder was involved in home sales on the old city dump for which he has drawn.
Ramaker retired to Mesquite some 10 years ago and served as an elected member of the Virgin Valley Water District Board from 2010 through 2016. She is a regular attendee at City Council and Water Board meetings and volunteers for activities of the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce, Mesa View Regional Hospital, League of Women Voters, Kids for Sports Foundation and other. She has no business conflicts of interest.
Black, like Withelder, is a Real Estate agent. She has lived in Mesquite for two-years and relies on name recognition (Black Gaming) for acceptance into the community. She supports the MRB.
Karen Fielding, Black’s opponent in the November race, is a long-time resident of Mesquite and promises to work for business retention, affordable housing, education, growth and health care.
Some 3,518 (37%) of the 9,534 registered voters in Mesquite turned out for the primary exceeding the 2,331 (25%) turning out for the 2016 primary.
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