Lynette Boggs
Encyclopedia
Lynette Boggs was a Republican
politician in Clark County
, Nevada
, and a former winner of the Miss Oregon
scholarship pageant. She went by the name of Lynette Boggs McDonald for most of her political career and dropped McDonald following a divorce.
. In high school, she was president of her sophomore, junior and senior classes. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame
in 1985 with a degree in business. She worked as director of marketing and admissions at the now-defunct Merritt Davis Business College in Eugene, Oregon
. In 1989, she was crowned Miss Oregon
and began a two-year journalism career.
At the Eugene Register-Guard newspaper
, Boggs concentrated on police and the courts. One article she wrote for the Register-Guard was about a 1990 contestant for Miss Oregon, focusing on the fact that the contestant (Lisa Verch Fletcher
, a future television news journalist) was an animal advocate
.
While at the Portland Associated Press
bureau, she wrote about government and contributed as a back-up sports writer. She also covered government and the courts at the Times Record News
in Wichita Falls, Texas
. She moved to Las Vegas
in 1991.
, without the need to run in a general election
if certain conditions are meet.
Boggs was a Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress in 2002, running against Shelley Berkley
in Nevada's First Congressional District. She lost, had she won she would have been the only Republican African-American female in the House.
On April 20, 2004, Boggs joined the Clark County Commission
. She was appointed to the position by Governor Kenny Guinn
to fill the seat for District F previously held by Mark James. She was elected to that position in November 2004, defeating Nevada Assemblyman David Goldwater.
Boggs was investigated by the Nevada Ethics Commission in 2005 for a complaint alleging that she tried to use her political influence to save her husband's government job. The allegations proved false.
On June 5, 2007, Boggs was the subject of an arrest warrant over charges that she committed four felonies related to her reelection bid in 2006. These warrants were quashed by the Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle, of the Clark County District Court. The charges were "political payback" rooted in her opposition to a 40% pay raise for police officers in Las Vegas and because of her former service on the Board of Directors of Station Casinos, a non-union hotel corporation. She was originally sued in civil court by both the Police Protective Association and the Las Vegas Culinary Union. Both unions were key endorsers of the 2006 re-election effort of Clark County District Attorney David Roger.
In 2008, two of the felony charges were dismissed by Judge Donald Mosley. In 2009, she accepted an Alford plea
to a single gross misdemeanor to resolve the case, maintaining her innocence throughout the ordeal.
Boggs has resided in the state of Texas since 2008 and is a law student at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. She is a Dean's Scholar and a member of the St. Mary's Law Journal.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician in Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and a former winner of the Miss Oregon
Miss Oregon
The Miss Oregon competition is a regional scholarship competition and beauty pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Oregon in the Miss America pageant...
scholarship pageant. She went by the name of Lynette Boggs McDonald for most of her political career and dropped McDonald following a divorce.
Early life
Boggs was the sixth of eight children. In the seventh grade she was junior high president at her school in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. In high school, she was president of her sophomore, junior and senior classes. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1985 with a degree in business. She worked as director of marketing and admissions at the now-defunct Merritt Davis Business College in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. In 1989, she was crowned Miss Oregon
Miss Oregon
The Miss Oregon competition is a regional scholarship competition and beauty pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Oregon in the Miss America pageant...
and began a two-year journalism career.
At the Eugene Register-Guard newspaper
The Register-Guard
The Register-Guard is a daily newspaper published in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the Eugene Daily Guard and the Morning Register. The paper serves the Eugene-Springfield area, as well as the Oregon Coast, Umpqua River Valley, and surrounding...
, Boggs concentrated on police and the courts. One article she wrote for the Register-Guard was about a 1990 contestant for Miss Oregon, focusing on the fact that the contestant (Lisa Verch Fletcher
Lisa Fletcher
Lisa Fletcher is an award winning American television journalist. She is an investigative reporter and news anchor who has covered stories around the world - both for ABC News as a correspondent and various major-market television stations, including most currently WJLA in Washington, DC.While...
, a future television news journalist) was an animal advocate
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
.
While at the Portland Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
bureau, she wrote about government and contributed as a back-up sports writer. She also covered government and the courts at the Times Record News
Times Record News
Times Record News is a daily newspaper based in Wichita Falls, Texas, US since 1907. It is owned by the newspaper group, The E.W. Scripps Company.From 1976 the newspaper was part of Harte-Hanks Newspapers...
in Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. She moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in 1991.
Political history
Boggs was appointed to a fill a vacant seat on the Las Vegas City Council on June 28, 1999. She was elected in the Ward 2 primary election, receiving 70 percent of the vote. Under Nevada election law, a person can be elected to a position in a primary electionPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, without the need to run in a general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
if certain conditions are meet.
Boggs was a Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress in 2002, running against Shelley Berkley
Shelley Berkley
Rochelle "Shelley" Berkley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999, and a candidate for U.S. Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education, and legal career:...
in Nevada's First Congressional District. She lost, had she won she would have been the only Republican African-American female in the House.
On April 20, 2004, Boggs joined the Clark County Commission
Clark County Commission (Nevada)
The Clark County Board of County Commissioners is the governmental organization that runs the unincorporated areas of Clark County, Nevada. The commission is considered by many to be the most powerful governmental body in the state of Nevada....
. She was appointed to the position by Governor Kenny Guinn
Kenny Guinn
Kenneth Carroll "Kenny" Guinn was an American businessman, educator and politician. He was the 27th Governor of Nevada from 1999 to 2007. He was a member of the Republican Party and a former member of the Democratic Party....
to fill the seat for District F previously held by Mark James. She was elected to that position in November 2004, defeating Nevada Assemblyman David Goldwater.
Boggs was investigated by the Nevada Ethics Commission in 2005 for a complaint alleging that she tried to use her political influence to save her husband's government job. The allegations proved false.
On June 5, 2007, Boggs was the subject of an arrest warrant over charges that she committed four felonies related to her reelection bid in 2006. These warrants were quashed by the Chief Judge Kathy Hardcastle, of the Clark County District Court. The charges were "political payback" rooted in her opposition to a 40% pay raise for police officers in Las Vegas and because of her former service on the Board of Directors of Station Casinos, a non-union hotel corporation. She was originally sued in civil court by both the Police Protective Association and the Las Vegas Culinary Union. Both unions were key endorsers of the 2006 re-election effort of Clark County District Attorney David Roger.
In 2008, two of the felony charges were dismissed by Judge Donald Mosley. In 2009, she accepted an Alford plea
Alford plea
An Alford plea in United States law is a guilty plea in criminal court, where the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence...
to a single gross misdemeanor to resolve the case, maintaining her innocence throughout the ordeal.
Boggs has resided in the state of Texas since 2008 and is a law student at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. She is a Dean's Scholar and a member of the St. Mary's Law Journal.