PVT FILE PHOTO Harley Kulkin, a candidate for the Nye County Commission District 3 seat. Advertisement

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.

Darryl Lackey also filed to run as a Republican in that district.

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.

He also formed Democrats for Ed Goedhart in support of Murray's Republican challenger. Goedhart won the general election

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.

Hollis, a former Pahrump town board member, had a tough race in the 2004 campaign to win his first term on the Nye County Commission, defeating Paula Elefante 51.8 percent to 48.2 percent.

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."

(Lackey will be profiled in a later issue of this paper.)