Leslie resigns Senate seat, will run in new district

State Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, has resigned her District 1 seat because in the newly drawn legislative district maps, her new home sits outside her current district.

She said she now plans to run in Senate District 15, where she will face Republican Greg Brower, who was appointed to the district following the resignation of Bill Raggio and has announced plans to run. Veteran campaigner Sharron Angle also lives in the district but has not yet announced her plans.

Brower said his campaign is well-organized and he looks forward to the race.

"I think the contrast will be clear," he said. "I'm confident the people in my district, my neighbors ... share the same vision I share."

Leslie said the district is very competitive, with Republicans having a half-percent registration advantage. She said it is also 15 percent Latino.

"I can be very competitive there," said Leslie, who has a master's degree in Spanish.

She said resigning now allows her to meet residency requirements in the new district and gives time for others to file in her current district.

"I look forward to continuing my service should the voters in Senate District 15 elect me in November," she said.

Regarding her resignation from District 1, which will be renamed District 13, Leslie said she was advised that she didn't have to resign because the new districts don't take effect until the November election.

"It doesn't feel right to me," she said. "If you move, you have to resign."

She said she doesn't think it would be ethical to continue representing a district she no longer lives in.

Leslie said that with her daughter grown and out on her own, she "downsized," purchasing a smaller home, which was in District 1 prior to the court-approved remapping.

District 1 is in old central Reno. The new district stretches from west Reno to the state line at Verdi and north to Raleigh Heights.

In Leslie's former district, Democrats have a sizable voter registration advantage, and Assemblyman David Bobzien, D-Reno, and Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, are considering running.

Leslie's resignation leaves a number of interim committee vacancies for leadership to fill. Among other appointments, she sits on the Interim Finance Committee, is vice chairman of the Legislative Commission and chairs both the Audit Subcommittee and Sunset Study Subcommittee.

• The Associated Press contributed to this report.