Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Lifting of Metro’s vaccine mandate criticized

Decision by sheriff, who is running for governor, panned by rivals

Sheriff Joe Lombardo Launches Campaign for Governor

AP

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo speaks with journalists at a news conference announcing his candidacy for governor of Nevada, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo’s decision to rescind a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for new Metro Police employees has been met with a barrage of criticism from his political rivals.

Now running for the GOP nomination for governor, Lombardo finds himself under fire from Democrats as well as his Republican competitors over his about-face, instituted at Metro last week and announced publicly Tuesday.

A Nevada group backing Democratic candidates called the move “pathetic” and “craven,” accusing Lombardo of playing politics with people’s health under pressure from far-right primary opponents.

His GOP rivals suggest Lombardo is only abandoning the mandate — an unpopular position among many Republican base voters — to score political points and that he’s already shown his true colors.

“Everything he does is calculated politically to maneuver the system, but it’s not working,” said North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, who is also seeking the Republican nomination.

“He’s been go go go on the vaccines since day one,” Lee said.

Metro began requiring proof of vaccination against the coronavirus in July 2020 for all new hires. Those employed prior to the mandate were not required to get vaccinated.

Lombardo, whose campaign website once included a photo of him being vaccinated, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Last year, he called the low rate of vaccination at Metro — 52.9% in August — “unacceptable” and pushed for employees to get vaccinated.

He’s now been saying he lifted the mandate about a week ago because of a drop in COVID cases within Metro and that while he encourages vaccination, it’s a personal choice.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Nevada Democratic Victory spokeswoman Mallory Payne called the decision “pathetic.”

“In his most craven demonstration yet, Joe Lombardo has proven he is a spineless politician caving under pressure from his far-right primary opponents,” Payne said. “By reneging on his own vaccine mandate, Lombardo is playing politics with his own employees’ health just to get ahead.”

Molly Forgey, spokesperson for incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s campaign, said, “The governor has always been consistent in following science when making policy decisions that affect Nevadans’ health. He’s empowered private businesses and local leaders to make their own decisions when it comes to mandating vaccines. It’s unfortunate Lombardo chose to reverse course on his own mandate just to get ahead in a competitive primary. He’s not just playing politics with officers’ health and safety, but also the communities he and his department serve to protect.”

Other of Lombardo’s rivals also piled on as they seek the upper hand in winning the primary battle to challenge Sisolak in the November election.

“Joe Lombardo has been carrying Steve Sisolak’s water for a year,” said former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, who is also seeking the GOP nomination. “This change of heart is due to political pressure, nothing more or less.”

Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore, another GOP hopeful, said Lombardo’s actions were a perfect example of why she was running for governor.

Politicians like Lombardo “are conservatives when election time comes, but the minute they get elected they screw us over,” Fiore said. “If Lombardo believed in freedom, he never would have instituted a vaccine mandate.”

David Damore, a professor and chairman of the UNLV department of political science, said Lombardo’s revised stance on the vaccine mandate was in line with the position other GOP candidates have taken to appeal to more conservative voters.

But it could come with some political risk if Lombardo makes it through the primary to face Sisolak, Damore said.

He noted that recent polling showed most Nevadans favor Sisolak’s COVID-19 policies, which include indoor mask mandates and vaccinations for state employees working with vulnerable populations, such as in hospitals and nursing homes.

One group that immediately praised Lombardo’s scrapping of Metro’s vaccine mandate was the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union representing Metro officers.

“The PPA has supported and continues to support people’s personal decision on whether they choose to get vaccinated or not,” President Steve Grammas said in a statement.

“We did not and do not support any mandates to be vaccinated for current or future officers,” he said “We are pleased that the sheriff has decided to lift the mandate for new officers and hope too that the department will change their stance on other issues related to employees and vaccinations.”

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, more than 2,500 Metro employees have tested positive for coronavirus. At least five Metro Police officers have died from COVID-19 complications.