LAS VEGAS -- Caroyln Goodman and Chris Giunchigliani will be battling it out for the Las Vegas mayor's seat in June. Goodman won the mayoral primary Tuesday night, but not by enough to eliminate the need for a runoff in the general election.
Chris Giunchigliani narrowly came in second, beating Larry Brown by just 15 votes.
Goodman was not available Wednesday to speak about her win. Representatives say she was in planning meetings. She leans heavily on her husband's name and popularity, but deflects criticism that she doesn't know the issues.
Goodman makes no secret she simply wants to keep the Oscar attitude and his policies going.
"My husband has done a beautiful job with his voice and his passion and with his wonderful, little eccentric personality," she said Tuesday night.
But will a "just like Oscar" platform be enough? Goodman faced criticism last past week over failing to take any position at all on the DREAM Act immigration bill and same sex marriage. She faced similar negative headlines for mild support of legalizing prostitution.
"I'm not running for the U.S. Senate and I'm not running for the presidency. I am running to be mayor. I don't know whether the mayor of Las Vegas knows what the DREAM Act is or has a feeling about prostitution," she said.
It is a fine line to walk as the supposed outsider, while at the same time touting her knowledge as a mayoral wife.
Goodman wants a populist campaign and gave a bit of a dig at her veteran opponent.
"I'm a different person. I'm not a politician. I never was a politician. I don't make empty promises," she said.
"I think the message has to be, what can we do? And that's what differentiates me. I don't just talk about it, I've actually done it," said Chris Giunchigliani.
Giunchigliani hopes to keep the campaign as clean as the primary, but is ready just in case the negative adds start popping up.
"I have never had to do that, but I will answer anything that is thrown at me. You have to answer back because an allegation made is an answer believed. But we don't plan no doing that," she said.
Known as Chris G. among her friends and family, this is the 11th race she's been in. Her husband, Gary Grey, has served as her campaign manager for every one of them.
"Much of what we are going to see is much of what we have been doing, just bigger, just better,"he said.
Grey says the Giunchiliani campaign will keep it's focus on their grassroots efforts. Giunchigliani says her 15 years of political experience is what will carry her to Las Vegas' top seat.
"If you don't know how to maneuver through the system, you won't ever make any changes. You can make all these promises and not be successful. Can't is a swear word in my classroom and it is not in my vocabulary," she said.
The mayor's race will be decided on June 7.
Chris Giunchigliani
Carolyn Goodman
