Las Vegas- Ellen Spiegel, president of the Henderson Democratic Club, announced today that she will be seeking the 21st Assembly District seat currently held by Republican Bob Beers.

“We have a lot of serious issues that we’re facing,” said Spiegel, “and we need creative, hardworking people who know how to ask hard-hitting questions to find out what’s going on and come up with some unique solutions.”

“The incumbent really hasn’t been representing the values of the Assembly District, my neighbors and the neighborhood.”

Spiegel is a Cornell University graduate who majored in consumer economics and is currently president of Strategems Consulting, a firm that specializes in aiding employers with workers’ compensation claims.  She has previously worked for American Express, The Weather Channel and Prodigy, a joint IBM/Sears business venture.

“I have a proven record of creating positive change, both in the community and professionally,” said Spiegel.  “I am certain that my passion for public service and ability to build broad-based community support are exactly what Henderson and Nevada need to resolve the serious issues we face today.”

Spiegel expects that her race will focus largely on education and health care-related issues.

Beers’ reelection challenges will not be limited to Spiegel.  He will also be facing a primary challenge from Jonathan Ozark, the late-twenties Henderson businessman who unsuccessfully challenged Joe Hogan in Assembly District 10 in 2006.

Assembly Minority Leader Heidi Gansert, in a November interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, said that the state GOP would be supporting Beers “as the incumbent.”

The district's voter registration numbers favor Republicans with an approximately 1,250 vote edge for the GOP and over 3,600 non-partisans.