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RENO, Nev. (AP) — The new Reno City Council has a distinctly more Democratic flavor with Mayor Hillary Schieve at the helm and a pair of labor-backed newcomers who replace outgoing business-friendly Republicans.
Democrats Naomi Duerr and Paul McKenzie were sworn into office Wednesday along with Schieve, a former councilwoman who is the city's first new mayor in 12 years. She replaces Bob Cashell, a moderate Republican who was termed out of office.
The city races are non-partisan. But the Reno Gazette-Journal reports (http://tinyurl.com/mx7gkwp) both Duerr and McKenzie plugged into their political base, as did their Republican opponents, in winning a pair of seats also left open as a result of term limits.
McKenzie, a long-time labor leader, beat ex-Washoe County Commissioner and longtime GOP conservative activist Bonnie Weber for Sharon Zandra's old seat in south Reno. Duerr defeated Elisa Cafferata for the seat Republican Dwight Dortch held on the north side of town stretching into the north valleys.
The "blue tide" at city hall was in stark contrast to the "red wave" that rolled across Nevada on Nov. 4, when Gov. Brian Sandoval was re-elected in a landslide that helped the GOP capture all six statewide constitutional offices and take control of both houses of the Legislature for the first time since 1985.
Riley Sutton, a political consultant who worked for both Duerr and McKenzie during the campaign, said they probably benefited from the fact they weren't identified on the ballot as Democrats.
"Voters were forced to look at the candidates and not just write them off on the basis of being Republican or Democrat," Sutton told the newspaper.
Schieve is registered non-partisan and drew support from both parties but enjoyed significant help from her friend and ex-Councilwoman Jessica Sferrazza's political network, which is heavily Democratic.
Schieve said she knows she has big shoes to fill, but "sometimes that's a good thing, whenever you have new ideas and fresh faces."
Cashell said he thinks the new council will do "a great job."
"They just have to communicate with each other and work, and they'll do that. Hillary will do a great job working with them and pulling them together," he told KTVN-TV.
McKenzie's campaign was funded almost exclusively by unions. Duerr and Schieve also received labor backing and were endorsed and funded by the police and fire unions, which negotiate contracts with the seven-member council.
McKenzie said one of his priorities will be maximizing use of local businesses for city projects.
"We need to reinvest in our own community whether it be construction or the bills we pay," he said.
Duerr said after they were sworn in by Judge Pete Sferrazza that it was a "dream come true."
" Ever since I was in college I thought about running for office," she said.
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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com
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