Opinion: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman decides not to go for Nevada governor

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So much for Governor Oscar.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, whose gin-fueled, showgirl-adorned exploits are the stuff of political legend, announced today that he won’t run for Nevada governor. He’d been toying with the idea for years and, facing term limits in 2011, had even consulted with former Minnesota Gov. Jesse “The Body” Ventura about campaigning as an independent.

Oscar being Oscar, he dragged out the decision-making process for nearly as long as possible – even (unofficially) inviting reporters to watch him change his voter registration from Democrat to nonpartisan. But today, with the Feb. 4 deadline looming for filing signatures to run as an independent, Goodman told reporters he didn’t want to be away from his family in wintry Carson City.

“I feel like there’s a weight off my back, because I did not want to wake up without my wife next to me,” he said. “How could I start my day without her being there? … She applauds me every morning.”

Funny thing is, he could conceivably have won, making Western Governors Assn. meetings -- and every other official event -- way more entertaining.

Instead, Oscar made Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid’s life somewhat easier. Oscar’s bid would probably have siphoned votes from the presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee, whose impressive fundraising and awful polling resembles that of his father, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

It’s also rumored that, once Oscar’s third term ends, he might have another mayoral candidate to stump for: his wife, Carolyn.

-- Ashley Powers

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