A discovery commissioner, public defender and experienced private attorney are competing for a longtime Clark Court District Court judge’s seat. District Judge Mark Denton’s decision not to run again opened his Department 13 spot. Denton is the longest serving current judge on the court and took the bench in 1998. In an era where court observers say female judicial candidates have an advantage in Clark County, this is the rare race that a man is guaranteed to win; all three candidates are men. Two of them — public defender Christopher Howell and lawyer Robert Kurth — jumped in at the last minute. Howell said he filed his candidacy about 15 minutes before the filing period closed. Kurth said he also filed at the end of the filing period. Howell denied that he decided to run in this department because of the gender make-up of the race. “I’m not saying gender dynamics had anything to do with it,” said Kurth.…