Gary Hollis Harley Kulkin Robert "Butch" Dole Darryl Lackey Advertisement

Four candidates seek election in the Nye County Commission District 3 race.

First-term incumbent Gary Hollis faces a challenge from two other Republicans in the Aug. 12 primary -- Robert "Butch" Dole and Darryl Lackey. The winner will square off in the Nov. 4 general election against Harley Kulkin, a Democrat, who is facing a legal challenge over his residency.

Gary Hollis

A Las Vegas native, Gary Hollis has been a resident of Pahrump since 1969. He moved to Pahrump to live with his family after finishing a stint in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

Hollis attended Robert O. Gibson Middle School in Las Vegas and received his high school General Equivalency Diploma (GED) in the U.S. Army.

Hollis worked in drilling exploration for a career, receiving most of his experience underground. He worked at the Nevada Test Site off and on from 1980 to 1998.

Hollis served on the Pahrump Town Board from 1996 to 2000. He defeated Paula Elefante 1,442 votes to 1,338, a margin of 51.8 percent to 48.1 percent, to win the district three race in November 2004.

District 3 includes roughly an area on the west side of Pahrump south of Bell Vista Avenue, north of Jaybird Street and Calvada Boulevard, west of a jagged line running from Linda Street to David Street to Blagg Road.

"There's a few things that I haven't been able to get accomplished that I would like to see accomplished. Number one, I would like to see the Calvada Eye developed to what I proposed to the commissioners," Hollis said.

Originally Hollis proposed the district attorney's office relocate to the Calvada Eye building. Nye County Commissioners now are planning to convert the old Calvada library into a meeting room. County administrative offices, human resources, and health and human services would also be housed there.

Hollis said architectural reviews on remodeling the Calvada Eye building should be done soon, then the renovation would be let out to bid. The reopening of that building would, among other things, relieve a lot of demand on the Bob Ruud Community Center, he said.

"Second of all there's the flood issue that I started when I came on board, the Wheeler Wash flood area and to the north of Pahrump that I've been working on. I'd like to get that finished before I decide to leave office," Hollis said.

The commission chairman would also like to see a new senior center built as part of the Beverly Park project on Basin Avenue and Barney Street.

"Your first term as a commissioner is a learning experience. There's a lot of things that we got accomplished this year. We worked on some new zoning and planning matters that makes the system work, which is hard zoning," Hollis said.

The adoption of the Pahrump comprehensive zoning plan June 20 means every property owner doesn't have to come before the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission and Nye County Commission to rezone their land from the old open use zone, Hollis said.

"The last three years I've been the liaison commissioner for nuclear waste. We've got a lot of work done in the last three years. We've drilled several wells and we've done a lot of studies that have supported Nye County's position on Yucca Mountain. Another thing I hope to accomplish this next year is a new PETT fund agreement with the Department of Energy for the next five years," Hollils said.

Nye County is requesting a sizeable increase in Payment Equal to Taxes (PET) by the DOE for the land value of Yucca Mountain. That agreement will cover the next five years beginning in fall 2008. The county currently receives $11.25 million per year from the DOE in PETT funds. Hollis is an unabashed supporter of the Yucca Mountain repository program.

Harley Kulkin

Harley Kulkin, a previous candidate for county commissioner and state assembly, moved his residency to District 3 and filed to run against incumbent Nye County Commissioner Gary Hollis.

Kulkin is the owner of Servco heating and air-conditioning service. He's been a resident of Pahrump for 15 years and hosts a Friday night television talk show on Channel 62, "Eye on Nye."

Kulkin ran unsuccessfully against Roberta "Midge" Carver for county commissioner of District 1 in the 2004 general election. Carver, a Republican who isn't running for reelection, had defeated Kulkin by a two-to-one margin.

While Kulkin lost to Laurayne Murray in the Democratic primary race for the Nevada District 36 State Assembly seat in August 2006 by a margin of 43 percent to 32 percent, he finished 16 votes ahead of Murray in Nye County voting with only $1,500 in donations, a fact about which he's proud.

Murray won big in the other counties in that district, including Mineral, Lincoln, Churchill and Esmeralda.

"I had to cover literally hundreds of square miles on my own budget, not being backed by a party," Kulkin said. "I went against some pretty strong odds and still didn't do bad for a little guy. This time all the votes are in Pahrump. I think it'll be a little different."

Kulkin trashed Democratic Party headquarters after his loss in the 2006 primary. But he's running as a Democrat in this election. Kulkin said he was angry because Democratic Party officials aren't supposed to interfere in the primary according to their bylaws, but party leaders like state Chairman Tom Collins threw their support to Murray.

Kulkin was active in a recall campaign against Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos last year. In 2000, he mounted a recall against Commissioner Cameron McRae.

"This county is very corrupt," Kulkin said. "I recalled Peter Liakopoulos because I don't believe he represents the best interests of Nye County. I believe he's a self-serving individual."

Kulkin was appointed to the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission in 2004, but only served a short term. "They ran me off of there because I stood up for the public," Kulkin said of his stint on the RPC.

The Nye County Commission as a whole hasn't been planning for the future, Kulkin said. Regarding his opponent, Kulkin said Hollis doesn't have any accomplishments to show after his first term.

"When a person is put in office the public has the right to expect results, and if you haven't gotten any, why would you want to keep that person in office?" Kulkin asked. "I challenge Mr. Hollis to appear on my program or in front of any group of people and discuss what he's done. He hasn't done anything."

Kulkin served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam from 1969-75, then went to work as an air-conditioning equipment mechanic at Long Beach Naval Shipyard. From there he was transferred to China Lake Naval Weapons Center in California.

Kulkin then moved to Minden to work at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Reno, Carson Tahoe Hospital and as a supervisor for Raley's Supermarkets.

Kulkin is an advocate for an alien theme park at the town's PARC site, not the water park and western theme village that are being proposed.

"That's one of my number one priorities, and it'll bring thousands of jobs to Nye County -- a world class theme park that will rival Disneyland," Kulkin said. "Some people are trying to steal my idea and change it to a stupid, water theme park in a western town."

Robert "Butch" Dole

Robert "Butch" Dole ran for governor of California in the recall election of Gov. Gray Davis in 2003. He captured 273 votes, finishing in 132nd place. Dole said he appeared on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno with other gubernatorial candidates, at which time Leno quipped if Bob Dole couldn't win the presidential race, Butch Dole wouldn't win the governor's race.

Dole grew up in Wisconsin, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, then worked as a field service technician for a semiconductor company in Massachusetts.

Eventually he moved to California where he ran a small package delivery service called Multiple Technologies Transport in San Jose that delivered 60,000 to 80,000 silicon wafers per month to local semiconductor companies.

Dole moved to Pahrump four years ago, partly to escape the workman's compensation laws in California. "It was the regulations, and now I see all that starting to creep into Nevada, and that bothers me too," he said.

Dole is a slot technician for Herbst Gaming. He said Pahrump needs to do something to attract tourists. The county has done a good job on zoning but could do more beautification. But Dole said he doesn't want Pahrump to grow up to be like Las Vegas.

"I really don't see anything changing or happening, Pahrump's a town of 40,000 people or so," Dole said. When asked why he entered the race, he recalled growing up in Menomonie, Wis., a town of 10,000 people, where there were amenities like sidewalks, curbs and gutters years ago.

"Now with 40,000 people I think we need a little bit more infrastructure, and if that penitentiary actually does take up and get started, I understand somebody's predicting another 200 cars on [Highway] 160. I think we're going to need a couple more stop lights," he said.

The facility is actually planned as a temporary detention center, not a penitentiary.

While Dole admitted he doesn't know much about the inner workings of the county commission, and it may take a little while to get up to speed, Dole said he's a quick learner.

When Dole was asked about some of the issues facing the county, like desert tortoise mitigation and flood control, he revealed more of his distain for government regulations.

"It's too bad government has gotten to be so heavily involved in all the red tape," Dole said. "Now you have got to have a commission for this, a commission for that, a study for this, a study for that, and then it takes years to get something done."

His incumbent opponent, Hollis, may have more experience working for the county, but Dole said, "Maybe it's time for a change and get someone who hasn't had the experience, or baggage, that goes along with having the years of experience, so maybe things move a little faster."

Darryl Lackey

Darryl Lackey, who supported Ron Paul for president, packs a Colt Mustang .380-caliber pistol tucked in his belt.

"I do open carry, I think that's a right we give up too easy," he said. "As transients move through, potential criminals, I want them to see we're a different breed here in Pahrump."

Lackey's card touts a business called Wired 4 Sound LLC. Lackey said he works as an RV technician for RV Superstore, which will open soon on South Dandelion Street. He formerly did electrical work for Citizens for Affordable Homes; for Summit Electrical, wiring the Pahrump Nugget bowling alley; and worked on the side on several homes.

Lackey is a state Republican Party delegate. He has five placer mining claims in Johnnie and said he now owns his own home for the first time.

He has been living in Pahrump for four years. He is a native of Glens Falls, N.Y. He also lived in Simi Valley, Calif., and Los Angeles.

When asked why he decided to run for commissioner, Lackey said, "Basically I'm tired of secrecy in government at all levels." He called himself "probably the most honest person you know."

Lackey said he wants to get all the information to the people. "The people need to know all the facts, not just some of the facts. Until you know all the facts, you cannot make proper decisions," he said.

Lackey said he was unpleasantly surprised to hear about a federal detention center going in on East Mesquite Avenue. Lackey feels it would be better placed outside of town.

"Do they want to bring tourism to town or do they want to publicize how many people we got locked up?" he asked.

Lackey wants to serve on the Pahrump town incorporation committee but said he still may be able to serve as an alternate member. Instead of incorporating Pahrump, he suggested moving the county seat from Tonopah to Pahrump.

"People tell me Tonopah only exists because the county seat is there. It's not my intention to harm other people's lives or to create a ghost town, but it seems like there's enough people traveling through. There's always changes that may be made, you have to tighten your belt," Lackey said.

Lackey said Nye County wastes money it gets from the federal government in order to get more federal money in the next budget year.

"Do we want to be competing for the federal dollars with all the strings that come attached to them, or do we want to live with integrity and carry our own weight and

"I do not want to cut short any necessities, any necessary services, but I don't like waste, and another thing I don't like, is I don't like the arrogance," he said. "There's no reason for the arrogance if you're there to be a servant of the people."