Election slates quickly becoming crowded
Second day of state political filings serves up some surprises
Nevada’s candidate filing period continued Tuesday with some unexpected twists as dozens of candidates entered hotly contested Assembly races and crowded federal elections.
Progressive Democrat Amy Vilela officially entered the race to replace Rep. Ruben Kihuen in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. Kihuen is not seeking re-election following sexual misconduct claims that surfaced last year. Republican Cresent Hardy, who held that seat before Kihuen, filed for the seat on Monday.
More than 150 people have filed for candidacy two days into the filing period, which ends March 16.
The field in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District gained four candidates Tuesday, bringing the total to nine.
Republicans Thomas La Croix and Michelle Mortensen, Democrat Eric Stoltz and Independent American Harry Vickers filed on the second day, joining Republicans Patrick Carter, Eddie Hamilton, David Mckeon and Victoria Seamen and Democrat Guy Pinjuv in the quest to replace Jacky Rosen, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Tuesday brought a few surprises in Assembly races.
Four-term Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, of District 15, announced he will not seek re-election, opening the field for a faceoff in a district where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-to-1.
Democrats control 27 seats in the 42-member Nevada Assembly. They’re vying to keep their majority and snag one additional seat, giving them a supermajority and the power to override a governor’s veto.
Political activist Howard Watts, a Democrat, immediately jumped into the fray forthe District 15 seat.
“I have the knowledge, experience and work ethic to help advance good policy in the state,” Watts said.
No Republicans have filed for the seat. The race for Assembly District 12 is also heating up as four Democrats attempt to replace fellow Democrat James Ohrenschall, who is running for state Senate. The contenders are Gregory York, Walter Lee Seip
II, Cinthia Moore and Anat Rachel Levy. Republican Richard Fletcher also entered the race.
Another battleground is unfolding in Assembly District 21, where Republicans Cherlyn Arrington and Garo Atamian filed in hopes of challenging incumbent Democrat Ozzie Fumo.
Also on Tuesday, Republican state Treasurer Dan Schwartz and Republican Bill Boyd filed to run for governor, Democratic Assemblyman Nelson Araujo filed for secretary of state and Republican Sherry Brooks and Democrat Danny Burleigh filed to run against U.S. Sen. Dean Heller.
State Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford and Wes Duncan filed to run for attorney general.
Board of Regents
A number of people have jumped into the race for a seat on the state Board of Regents, the 13-member governing body that oversees the state’s public colleges and universities. Four of the 13 seats are open.
Jack Mallory, David Olson and Laura Perkins have filed in District 1, where Cedric Crear is term-limited. He is seeking the Ward 5 seat on the Las Vegas City Council.
District 12 has also garnered the interest of three individuals. Andrea Anderson, the incumbent, will face off against Amy Jennifer Carvalho and Andrew Coates in the primary.
School board
David Gardner, a former Republican assemblyman who shepherded the reorganization of the Clark County School District into law, filed for the Clark County School Board trustee seat in District F.
The seat is held by Carolyn Edwards, who is term-limited. Gardner is joined so far by three other candidates.
Danielle Ford, a 32-year-old single mother of two children in the district and owner of a local marketing agency, filed Monday. Ford, a dropout from Cimarron-memorial High School, said she wants to help change the district so that it works for more than one type of student.
Kali Fox Miller, a 36-year-old attorney, filed Tuesday. She hopes to bring fiscal expertise to help solve the district’s budget crisis.
Tammi Musemici, a 45-year-old hairstylist, also filed Tuesday and said she wants to give “a voice to the voiceless” on the board.
In District G, current board member Linda Cavazos, who was appointed in August, has one challenger so far.
Ryan Scalia, a 22-year-old who works as a manager in marketing for the Dotty’s gaming tavern chain, said he’s running because he believes the district hasn’t been really taken care of.
As of noon Tuesday, no candidate had filed for the District D seat, currently held by first-term trustee Kevin Child. Child has previously said he will run for a second term.
Contact Ramona Giwargis at rgiwargis@reviewjournal. com or 702-380-4538. Follow @ Ramonagiwargis on Twitter. Reviewjournal staff writers Natalie Bruzda, Meghin Delaney and Amelia Pakharvey contributed to this report.