Las Vegas Sun

June 17, 2024

Sun Endorsements:

In state and municipal races, some prospects stand out while some races devoid of suitable candidates

Primary Election Day 2022

Steve Marcus

Voters cast their ballots at a polling site in Summerlin Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

State Senate

Democratic primary endorsements

• District 1: Clara Thomas is a current member of the Assembly who, like her counterparts in the federal legislature, has demonstrated a willingness to act independently and break with party lines in order to do what she thinks is right for her constituents. We endorsed her in 2022 and are happy to do so again.

• District 3: Rochelle Nguyen is an incumbent who was appointed to the Senate following a four-year stint in the Assembly. She has taken full advantage of the opportunity and successfully worked to pass legislation expanding access to affordable health care, increasing funding to increase school teachers’ wages, and reforming Nevada’s criminal justice system.

• District 4: The daughter of 30-year Senate veteran Joe Neal, Dina Neal has built her own political dynasty, serving 11 years in the Assembly and four years in the Senate. Her knowledge, skills, experience and multigenerational relationships make her one of the most effective legislators in Carson City.

• District 5: Jennifer Atlas’ robust policy proposals and excellent communication skills have earned her endorsements from luminaries such as former Gov. Steve Sisolak and state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and groups such as Planned Parenthood and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. However, Christian Bishop’s relationships with a diverse array of local community leaders have earned our attention. We believe both candidates would make excellent challengers to incumbent Republican Carrie Buck.

Republican primary endorsements

• District 5: Carrie Buck is a classic example of how we don’t have to agree with everything candidates stand for to believe that they can be a successful legislator. Her support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and her spotty voting record on anti-discrimination bills makes us question her ability to represent all Nevadans, but she has proven herself a leader on education who is effective at getting things done.

• District Lori Rogich is one of the few Republican candidates who responded to our candidate questionnaire with detailed policy proposals and an acknowledgment of some of the challenges she might face. Her honest introspection is itself worthy of consideration. But her success in fighting for the civil rights of students with disabilities makes us confident in her ability to be an effective legislator.

• District 18: John Steinbeck is chief of the Clark County Fire Department. He has a long track record of advocating for public safety in Southern Nevada. He demonstrated his character by pre-emptively volunteering to resign from his firefighting position if elected.

No endorsement

• District 6 Republican primary

• District 18 Democratic primary

• District 19 Republican primary

 

State Assembly

Democratic primary endorsements

• District 7: Tanya Flanagan

• District 9: Steve Yeager (incumbent)

• District 10: VeniseKarris is precisely the type of candidate that we hope will become more common in Carson City. A journeyman wireman who quite literally helped build the current Las Vegas Strip, Karris has spent decades building strong relationships in a variety of settings, all while advocating for working Nevadans.

• District 11: Cinthia Moore embodies the experiences of many Nevadans as both a multi-decade resident of the valley and an immigrant with ties to another country and culture. We believe this dual identity will enable her to successfully represent Nevadans with deep family ties to the Silver State and those whose families arrived more recently.

• District 16: Cecelia Gonlez (incumbent)

• District 42: Tracy Brown-May (incumbent)

Republican primary endorsements

• District 11: Jeffrey Lustick’s responses to our candidate questionnaire demonstrated a depth of knowledge and wealth of enthusiasm regarding public policy that stood out in the crowd. While we disagree with him regarding several of his policy proposals and the assumptions that underly them, his willingness to learn, challenge himself and advocate for meaningful action that serves his constituents was undeniable. We look forward to learning more about him as he moves into the general election.

No endorsement

• District 5 Republican primary

• District 6 Democratic primary

• District 12 Republican primary

• District 16 Republican primary

• District 21 Republican primary

• District 29 Republican primary

• District 34 Republican primary

• District 41 Republican primary

• District 42 Republican primary

 

University Regents

District 1

Carlos Fernandez has direct experience as both a student and former employee at UNLV, the largest campus in the NSHE system. That experience and perspective will be essential to helping guide the system through the rapidly changing landscape of higher education.

District 4

As a public-school teacher, Aaron Bautista understands the value of a college degree. But as an advocate for Nevada’s community colleges, he also understands that many students neither need, seek nor benefit from attending a four-year institution. Many of the policy proposals he shared with us focus on helping students figure out what they need to accomplish their goals and then help them get there. It’s a student-centered approach that should be more common on the board of regents.

 

Board of Education

District 3

An incumbent being forced to re-run due to redistricting. Rene Cantu has a long track record of advocating for student success and identifying the barriers that inhibit student success. We endorse him without reservation.

 

Clark County School Board

• District A: Dual endorsement, Mercedes McKinley and Anna Binder

• District B: Eileen Eady

• District C: Evelyn Garcia Morales (incumbent)

• District E: No endorsement

 

County Commission

• District C Democratic primary: Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod

• District C Republican primary: Thomas Wagner

• District A Republican primary: No endorsement

 

City of Las Vegas

Mayor

• Shelley Berkley

City Council

• Ward 1: Brian Knudsen (incumbent)

• Ward 3: Olivia Diaz (incumbent)

• Ward 5: No endorsement

Municipal court judge

• Department 5: No endorsement

 

City of North Las Vegas

City Council

• Ward 2: Ruth Garcia-Anderson (incumbent)

 

City of Henderson

City Council

• Ward 1: Jim Seebock (incumbent)

• Ward 2: Dan Shaw (incumbent)

• Ward 3: Dan H. Stewart (incumbent)

 

 

Boulder City

City Council

(two at-large seats available)

Daniel Patterson

Matt Fox (incumbent)

Sherri Jorgensen (incumbent)