Former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn dies

Former Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn, who guided Nevada from January 1999 through the end of his second term in 2006, died this morning of a heart attack in Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Meanwhile, the Nevada Appeal is reporting Guinn died after falling from a roof. The former governor was 73.

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons released the following statement:

“I am saddened to learn of the passing of former Governor Kenny Guinn. On behalf of all Nevadans, I extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends. 

Kenny Guinn was a proud Nevadan and his leadership of Nevada and many contributions to the Silver State will be remembered for many years to come.”

Gov. Gibbons has ordered flags at state buildings to be lowered to half-staff.

Nevada Senator Harry Reid today made the following statement on the floor of the U.S. Senate on the passing of Guinn:

"I just learned a couple of minutes ago, one of my dear friends passed away.  He was an orphan, he was a stellar athlete.  He came to Las Vegas to be a school teacher but he had such a dynamic personality that soon they learned in that rapidly growing school district there, which is now the fourth or fifth largest in the country, they needed his kind of leadership.  So he went from being a teacher to running that huge school district in Las Vegas, Clark County School District.
"He had such a magnetic personality.  Kenny Guinn was built like an athlete.  He was handsome like a movie star.  And he left the school district after a number of years and became a bank president.  He became a big utility president at a major utility in Nevada.  Then he became president of a university.  I think he worked for $1 a year.  He did it to be nice.
"Somebody said to him, "What you should do is run for governor."  It was a slam dunk.  He was a very moderate republican.  He was elected governor twice very easily.  He did an extremely good job as governor.
"We don't know what happened to Kenny today.  But from reports we got, he was in an accident.  He was on his roof and fell.  He's dead now.  I feel so bad about this.  I talked to him a week or so ago about my campaign and his wonderful, beautiful, charming wife Dema.  I just feel so sad that Kenny is not with us anymore.  I join all Nevada in mourning the loss of truly a great man, one of Nevada's outstanding governors, a friend of mine who I'll always feel very strongly about," Reid said.

Nevada Senator John Ensign released the following statement:

“I am both shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of a true Nevadan, former Governor Kenny Guinn.”

“It’s nearly impossible for me to put into words what this one man has meant to me and the people of Nevada. Kenny was greatly admired and respected across Nevada from the rurals of the East to the metropolitan abundance of the South.

"Kenny was to me a great role model and someone who I worked very closely with –in fact, he has been an inspiration to me through the years beginning with the time that he was the Superintendent of the Clark County School District and he signed my high school diploma.

"He and Dema served Nevada well as our first family, and they have continued their tireless devotion to philanthropic efforts, such as education, in recent years. My thoughts and prayers are with Dema and their children and all the people across the state who are mourning the loss of a great Nevadan,” said Ensign.

U.S. Congressman Dean Heller made the following statement on the news of Gov. Guinn’s passing:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Governor Guinn. I had the privilege of serving with Kenny while Secretary of State and was proud to have called him my friend. His service to Nevada and his legacy will be remembered by all who worked with him. My thoughts and prayers go to Dema and her family during this very difficult time,” said Heller.