No police union endorsement
Plurality not attained in county sheriff race
The union representing rank-andfile Las Vegas police officers will not endorse a candidate for Clark County sheriff ahead of the primary election.
While the bulk of the votes cast by members of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association went for Sheriff Joe Lombardo, voting participation by the union failed to reach the 51 percent required to issue an endorsement, union president Steve Grammas said.
An April 2 letter sent to union members by Grammas indicates 775 votes were cast of a possible 2,808 voters, or about 28 percent participation.
“I would’ve liked to have been able to endorse in the race for whoever they chose,” Grammas told the Review-journal on Friday.
The election can be won in the
June 12 primary if one of the five candidates gets more than 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters will face off in the general election.
Lombardo got about 68 percent of the votes that were cast. He was followed by former North Las Vegas police officer Tim Bedwell, who received 24 percent, according to the April 2 letter.
Former Metro detective Gordon Martines led the other three candidates.
Grammas said the union’s executive board was considering changes to the bylaws to prevent another nonendorsement.
“It’s something that we’re discussing,” he said.
Ford gets backing from Harris
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-calif., considered a potential 2020 presidential candidate, endorsed Nevada state Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford in the race for attorney general.
“Senator Ford has a record of standingup to special interests and being tough and smart on crime. When he says that there is no criminal too ruthless and no corporation too powerful that he won’t take on if they are hurting Nevada’s families, he means it,” Harris said in a statement. “Senator Ford will put families first, and that’s why I’m proud to endorse Aaron Ford for Attorney General.”
Harris was California attorney general from 2011 to 2017. Ford also received an endorsement last week from former Nevada Congressman James Bilbray, who represented Nevada in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995.
News and notes
The Review-journal wants to partner with a bipartisan panel of readers to determine the stories we write and the questions we ask the candidates. If you would like to take part in a series of up to six roundtable discussions before and after the primary and general elections, contact Review-journal government and politics editor Rob Johnson at rjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0290.
Participants must be registered to vote in Clark County, willing to appear on video and in Review-journal stories, and be prepared to take part in discussions of 60 to 90 minutes.
The Nevada chapter of the Transport Workers Union, which represents roughly 3,400 workers in the Silver State, endorsed Democrat Susie Lee in the race for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.
Howard Watts, a Democrat running for Assembly District 15, will host a fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Artifice, 1025 S. First St. For details, email melinda@nvassemblydems.com
Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter. Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702383-4638. Follow @Coltonlochhead on Twitter.