Jessica Hill
From left to right, Joey Gilbert, Dean Heller, John Lee, Joe Lombardo and Guy Nohra speak at a forum on Wednesday.
Thursday, March 24, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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A group of Republican candidates looking to become Nevada’s next governor took turns detailing plans to enhance the state’s business diversity and improve education during a forum Wednesday morning at the Orleans.
Hosted by the Keystone Corporation, the gubernatorial hopefuls — Reno attorney Joey Gilbert, former Sen. Dean Heller, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo and venture capitalist Guy Nohra — were asked business issues, how they would appoint board members, improve transportation and fix education.
Keystone Corporation is a conservative political action organization that focuses on businesses and enterprise-based policies in Nevada. Although the primary race is crowded with about 15 Republicans, the organization invited the top five candidates based on a survey it sent to its members.
Regarding the economy, Nohra detailed his experience running businesses. He is the co-founder of Life Sciences Venture Capital firm, which has invested in 180 biotech and medical technology companies. He’d like to see Nevada take advantage of its artificial intelligence capabilities and become an e-sports center to attract more business. He also wants to give mining companies research and development credits.
“We have real good businesses in the state that do pretty good work, and we’re going to help them thrive even further,” Nohra said.
Lombardo compared running the Metro Police Department, which has more than 3,000 officers, to being the CEO of a large company. He talked about the importance of having an educated workforce and said he wanted to look at occupational licensing reforms, as well as making more affordable housing available in Nevada.
It was Lombardo’s first time taking part in an event with other candidates in the race; he previously had declined to participate in candidate forums until after the March 18 filing deadline.
“We have to diversify (Nevada’s economy),” Lombardo said. “We will fail as a state moving into the future if we do not diversify.”
Heller talked about how the governor should reach out to businesses and talk to them about coming to Nevada, and as governor he said he would streamline the permitting process to attract more businesses.
“If you have to wait a year to move dirt, you’re probably not coming here,” Heller said.
Gilbert said the way to diversify the economy starts with fixing the schools.
“This is why I’m in this race — our beautiful children,” Gilbert said. “The only lasting solution (is) fully funded (private school) vouchers that go directly to every parent with no strings attached.”
Lee focused his answers on the work he has done as mayor in diversifying the economy and bringing more construction to the city. Regarding education, for instance, he talked about how many private schools and charter schools North Las Vegas has. He also mentioned his previous work in the state Legislature and how he already had experience in Carson City.
“You have a unique opportunity,” Lee said. “When you hire somebody that works for you you say, ‘Do I like you? Do I trust you? What can you do for me and my business?’ I promise you, you’ll get straight-up good service from this guy.”
All of the candidates promised no new taxes, and most of them said they would work to repeal the commerce tax.
“This is why voters are frustrated here in Vegas,” Heller said. “That is why businesses are not coming to Nevada, because of this commerce tax. It has to go away.”
Lombardo promised that he would have no new tax platform and wants to audit the tax system and see if there is a “better way of doing business.” But instead of completely repealing the commerce tax, he wants to explore reforming the tax with threshold limits.
The Nevada Commerce Tax was made law in 2015. It affects Nevada businesses that exceed $4 million in gross revenues in a tax year. Businesses are taxed at different rates based on the kind of industry.
Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2019 signed Senate Bill 497, which eliminates the commerce tax filing requirement for business entities whose revenue falls below the $4 million threshold.
Heller took Wednesday’s forum as an opportunity to throw a couple of jabs at Lombardo, who is currently leading in the polls. “If anybody talks about tax reform, they’re talking about tax increases,” said Heller, who was tied for second with Lee in the latest poll.
Meanwhile, Lombardo threw a few jabs at Sisolak, the Democratic incumbent.
“I’m not going to have the governor of California telling me what to do,” Lombardo said, possibly referring to Gov. Sisolak’s decision to repeal the mask mandate following California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to repeal the mandate.
As candidates of the limited-government party, they all talked about removing regulations that are in place. Lombardo promised that by the end of his first term, there would be fewer regulations in place than when he started, adding that he would first remove all of the COVID-19 regulations.
If Gilbert becomes governor, he vows to limit the governor’s power so no future governor could instill a two-year emergency declaration.
“What happened in 2020 until now could never happen again,” Gilbert said. “I would bring the power back to the people.”
While elections were not part of any of the moderator’s questions, some candidates touched on election reform.
“When I become the governor, I’m going to require that you show ID when you cast your vote and that you have to be a citizen of Nevada,” Heller said. “You can have a governor who can put a vaccine into a child but you can’t require ID?”
On education, candidates brought up solutions like school choice and vouchers as well as reimplementation of the “Read by Grade 3” program (a program that continues to operate in Nevada schools. It was established in 2015 and was amended in 2019 with an increase in funding).
“Our schools suck,” Nohra said, but parents will save the schools. He added that the Clark County School District should be split up.
“It is no secret education is the most important issue associated with the success of a state,” Lombardo said. “Education provides a quality of life for individuals.”
Other GOP candidates went to the breakfast, including veteran Tom Heck and real estate investor Barak Zilberberg. The room was also full of Republican candidates running for office, like Army veteran Sam Brown running for U.S. Senate, Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore running for treasurer and veteran Tony Grady running for lieutenant governor.
Media outlets weren’t credentialed for the event and were told to pay for the $150 ticket “like everyone else in the room,” said Daniel Tuntland, treasurer of the organization and moderator of the forum. Communications director Pauline Lee said in an interview that in the past journalists have “hogged the candidates” after the forums and prevented the audience from getting to know them.
The Sun paid to cover the event, which normally isn’t our policy. However, we thought covering all of the GOP candidates together was important.
