LET ME FIRST offer on behalf of all Republicans in Clark County a welcome for your interest, or at least passing curiosity, about Republicans here in this area. If you're a new resident, you may not know Clark County encompasses more than Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson. It extends all the way north to Mesquite and Indian Springs, south to Laughlin and Primm, and almost as far as Pahrump.

You may be a new Republican, or not even sure if you have anything in common with them. But if you believe in limited government, less taxes and more personal responsibility, we walk on the same common ground, and you might want to check us out on our Web site (www.clarkgop.org). We have links on our site to most of the Republican candidates running for office. Click on their site to check on their upcoming events and opportunities for you to support them either financially or by volunteering.

We have an extensive grass roots organization. If your interest concerns your immediate neighborhood, you might want to volunteer for grassroots in your precinct or Senate district. If your interest is more issue-oriented, we have grassroots organization for issues such as education and taxes. Contact our Web site or call our office for more information

Your vote really counts this primary season if the past is any indication of turnout this year. We do not generally get more than a 30 percent turnout for any primary and in a non-Presidential election year, those numbers drop even lower. If you truly believe in a candidate, get out the vote for him or her and ignore polls. Election Day is the only poll that counts.

If you have not yet registered to vote, you must register with a party by July 15th, one month before the primary election. Nevada is a closed primary state. Only if you are registered with a party can you vote in their primary election. There is a ten-day period from July 16–25th where you can register or update your registration for the primary election, but you have to go down to the Election Department office to do it. Before July 15th, you can get voter registration forms at the local post office or at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Or give us a call or email our site and we'll help you get registered.

Please reserve a spot on your calendar for the Clark County Central Committee Meeting on Tuesday, July 18th at 7:00 p.m. at Arizona Charlie's on Decatur (see details below). This could be the best chance to see all of the Republican candidates for office before the August primary election. All registered Republicans in Clark County are eligible to serve on the Central Committee and we welcome all newcomers and our members to this important meeting.

Many of the candidates are making the rounds of the various Republican organizations in Clark County and this is a great opportunity to meet personally and get some face time with Republican candidates. If you have an issue that concerns you, they'll be more available to talk to you now than later in the campaign when schedules are tighter and greater demands are made of the candidates' time. You'll probably run into one or two of them at the below events, so take the opportunity to meet them, hear what they say, and what their fellow Republicans say about them. Hope to see you there.