By most measures, Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons -- a Republican -- is one of the least popular elected officials in the country. Only one in ten voters in his state approve of his job performance. That's a reputation he's earned through shocking displays of personal and professional incompetence.

Nevada has been hard hit by the national recession, and Gibbons has done little as governor to improve things for his constituents. The state is set to receive $1.5 billion in federal stimulus money, and that has legislators worried how Gibbons would manage the funds.

For that reason, this week, lawmakers led an effort to put oversight of the money into more responsible hands:

During a meeting of the Interim Finance Committee — which exists so changes in the budget can be made when the Legislature is not in session — lawmakers rejected a plan by Gov. Jim Gibbons’ administration for how to spend some of the federal stimulus money and stripped from his office a newly created position to oversee spending of Nevada’s $1.5 billion allotment.

Legislators -- led by Senate Majority Leader and DLCC Board Member Steven Horsford proposed changes to the governors plan that would reduce the number of individuals responsible for overseeing the administration of the funds from 10 to 3; place the overall stimulus fund coordinator position in the office of the state controller; and make the coordinator position classified -- which would force candidates through the state personnel process rather than having them be appointed by the governor.

Elections in Nevada are more than a year away, but that hasn't stopped many in their preparations for 2010.

Lawmakers in the state are limited to 12 years of service by a constitutional amendment passed by referendum in 1996. That means that 17 legislative seats will be left open across the state next year.

Complicating matters further is a new law that pushes primaries in the state from August to June. To run in the primary, candidates must file paperwork with the state by the end of May mid-March, and that has many would-be candidates laying the ground work for a run now.

These early preparations are giving us a picture of the themes that might emerge in next year's contests, and for the GOP, 2010 might shape up to be a battle for the soul of their party:

A tug-of-war within the Republican Party will likely pit moderate candidates against those with a more rigid conservative ideology. Political observers see a stronger potential that conservative Republicans could replace more moderate legislators in the Senate, tilting the GOP there to the right.

After a series of losses -- including control of the state senate -- it is somewhat surprising that Republicans would continue down the road of narrowing their appeal with most voters.

But to be honest, that's a decision we at the DLCC can't complain about.

Nevada lawmakers have passed an important piece of legislation to protect children from abduction when parents are locked in custody battles.

Nevada law already recognizes prior abductions of children as a risk factor for future abductions, but this recognition has not been included in the child custody provisions in the laws regulating the dissolution of marriage.

The new law will keep child abductors from receiving custody or unsupervised visits, except under certain, special circumstances.

Nearly half of all kidnappings in the state involve a prior abduction or serious case of custody interference from a parent.

Over the weekend, legislators in Nevada overturned a veto by Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons of an important piece of equal rights legislation:

The bill provides that domestic partners have the same rights as married couples in matters such as community property and responsibility for debts. It also prohibits discrimination against domestic partners.

The House approved the override by a 28-14 on Sunday, while the Senate approved the measure a day earlier.

This week, lawmakers in Nevada voted to accept $35 million in federal stimulus funds for education. The money will go to K-12 schools that have a high percentage of students from low-income families.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, a DLCC board member, stressed the importance of making wise decisions with the new funds in talks with school officials:

If these dollars don't get used right, it's a huge missed opportunity for our children. I recognize the pressure that you all are under to meet your budget cuts. I would hope that pressure wouldn't cause you to keep these dollars, and use them in a way that wouldn't be in the best possible way for those schools.

The legislature has asked to receive updates on how the money will be used and regular reports on improved student performance.

In Nevada, Democratic victories in November have helped to swing the balance of away from the GOP in the state. Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons has specifically seen his power wane.

Instead, the Las Vegas Sun reports:

[T]he real action will involve a troika of Democrats who are not only the future of the party in Nevada, but also occasional rivals whose various aspirations will make it difficult at times for them to pull together. For that reason, they bear close watching after the Legislature opens on Feb. 2.

As one of these leaders, Sen. Steven Horsford, who heads the upper chamber and serves as a board member at the DLCC, is focused on advancing a Democratic agenda in the state.

He and other Democrats are all committed to solving the budget crisis in Nevada without cutting essential services at a time when citizens of the state need them the most.

Steven Horsford first began to learn how the Nevada Senate worked in 1993 while he was a student intern.

Now, 15 years later, Democrats in the state are in control of the senate for the first time since 1991, and Horsford has been chosen by his Democratic colleagues to serve as the as the chamber’s majority leader.

He is the first African-American ever to be elected to the post, and at just 35, Horsford is also one of the youngest chamber leaders in the country. Majority Leader Horsford was also recently chosen to serve on Board of Directors for the DLCC.

Just after Election Day, Horsford told reporters that finding a way to balance the state budget without cutting essential services would be one of his top priorities. A state commission in charge of budget projections recently reported that Nevada would need to cut spending by as much as $250 million in 2009.

Outside of the legislature, Horsford is president of Nevada Partners -- a nonprofit dedicated to job training and education. He is also the chief operating officer for the Culinary Training Academy which helps workers prepare for jobs in the state’s hospitality industry.

A native of Las Vegas, Horsford is a graduate of University of Nevada, Reno.

Heading into tonight, Democrats only needed to win one seat to gain control of the Nevada senate.

We had targeted two districts.

As of 2:45 EST, I can report that Democrats won both these races to secure a majority in the upper chamber.

Both parties are watching the campaign for control of the Nevada Senate unfold, and this week, the Associated Press wrote a preview of all the legislative races in the state.

We've spent plenty of time discussing the senate contests in Clark County, and the AP has plenty to say about those races.

But they also make the point that Democrats also have the opportunity to expand their lead in the lower chamber.

Assembly Democrats, who already have a 27-15 edge over Republicans, are looking to pick up from one to three more seats. Gaining just one seat would give Democrats the 28 seats needed for a supermajority - the number needed to override a veto by Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons. They say their worst-case scenario is retaining their current, overwhelming margin.

In addition to setting a Democratic agenda for the state, control of both chambers will be important as we enter the next round of legislative redistricting. Most project that Nevada will add at least one seat in Congress after the Census.

Late last month, in the middle of our Essential Races campaign, the good folks at Governing put together a preview of the fight for control of the Nevada Senate.

Campaigning in the Silver State is particularly interesting because it all comes down to two races for districts located a few miles apart in the Clark County. Both seats are held by Republican incumbents -- Bob Beers and Joe Heck -- who are both freshmen legislators.

Both districts previously had a Republican lean, but Democrats have gained ever-so-slight edges in party registration in recent months. Democrats also could benefit from the unpopularity of Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons and Nevada's economic troubles.

Beers' challenger is Allison Copening, who is running in one of our 2008 Essential Races.