Saturday, May 26, 2018 | 2 a.m.
State Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, says he plans to seek the leadership role of the Republican Senate caucus for the 2019 session of the Nevada Legislature.
“I am going for leadership, and we’ll have that vote after the election to determine who will be the best to lead us during the session,” Settelmeyer said Thursday on Nevada Newsmakers.
Settelmeyer acknowledged he may be in a competition for the post with Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, who has been the assistant caucus leader. Settelmeyer also faces Curtis Cannon, a Democrat from Carson City, in the general election in November.
State Sen. Michael Roberson, who has led the GOP Senate caucus since 2013, is running for lieutenant governor.
When asked about leapfrogging Kieckhefer to be elected leader, Settelmeyer said, “It is not a question of leapfrogging. We just have different leadership styles and different views on the future of the state of Nevada, potentially.”
Settelmeyer was first elected to the Legislature in 2006 as an assemblyman from Douglas County. He was elected to the Senate in 2010.
Kieckhefer also was elected to the Senate in 2010, having no prior legislative experience.
“When you look at it, I have over 12 years in this process and in that respect, he actually has less,” Settelmeyer said. “Maybe I’m the one who was leapfrogged.”
Settelmeyer said he also may be more conservative than Kieckhefer.
“It is a question of viewpoint,” he said. “I come from a rural community and I think I just have a little bit of a different viewpoint on a conservative aspect.”
