Nevada voters pick governor, 2nd Congressional District candidates in primary

(CN) — The Nevada gubernatorial candidate told Bruce Parks that he didn’t need campaign cash.

Instead, the candidate argued he could reach voters through social media and events, said Parks, chair of the Washoe County Republican Party.

“I told him, ‘You’re not a viable candidate,’” Parks told Courthouse News, adding the candidate appeared displeased with the comment.

Parks’ central committee opted against an endorsement for that person. Instead, it’s endorsed the state’s sitting governor, Republican Joe Lombardo.

There are a handful of contenders on the Democratic side, though Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill top the list.

The governor and 2nd Congressional District races are top of mind for many Silver State voters as they consider the candidates running in the June 9 primary election. There are many other down-ballot races, but these two have taken center stage for many.

Early voting ends Friday.

The governor has a lot of power in a state where its Legislature meets every other year. And the 2nd Congressional District — comprising roughly the northern half of the state and including Washoe and Douglas counties, the district’s major population centers — is a wide-open race. U.S. Representative Mark Amodei, in Congress since 2011, opted against seeking reelection.

That’s led a host of candidates on both sides of the aisle to toss their hats in the ring.

“Down south, they don’t worry about who’s going to replace Amodei,” said Cynthia King, chair of the Douglas County Democratic Party. “But the CD race, everybody’s watching that one.”

King pointed to Democrats Kathy Durham, who she said is backed by rural voters. Teresa Benitez-Thompson and Greg Kidd have support in Washoe County.

“Any one of them would be great to put up against Republicans,” King added.

The congressional district is important to Democrats, as Amodei is the only Republican in Nevada’s delegation. King said Amodei likely would have won reelection if he’d opted to run again. His departure gives her party a chance at flipping the state’s only red congressional district to blue.

Front-runners emerge

For Jon Ralston, CEO of the Nevada Independent, it’s still too early to predict winners for the June 9 election. And it’s far too early to think about who might win in November.

But the political observer of almost 40 years has some front-runners in mind.

The governor’s race tops the list for Ralston. The 2nd Congressional District is important as well, Ralston said, if someone believes it can flip blue. Ralston noted the district has been red since its creation.

The offices of the secretary of state and attorney general also appear on Ralston’s radar, though he added that’s from a national perspective. The secretary of state position could prove important in the 2028 presidential election, as there’s the possibility of election fraud accusations. However, he cautioned it’s too early to tell.

King noted the attorney general race also is high on her party’s list. She’s happy with both Democratic candidates, Nicole Cannizzaro, currently a state senator, and Zach Conine, state treasurer.

While cautious about declaring who will win a particular contest, Ralston said Ford, the current attorney general, is a favorite to win the Democratic nomination for governor. Hill, the Washoe County commissioner, has grassroots support, though an upset seems against the odds.

“I don’t think it’s impossible, but I think it’s highly unlikely,” Ralston said.

Lombardo, the current governor, has primary opposition, though it’s expected he’ll easily advance to the general election.

Pivoting to the 2nd Congressional District race, Ralston said he wasn’t surprised Amodei opted to bow out. Ralston said the congressman had spoken about leaving in private conversations for years.

“It’s a real grind to be in Congress,” Ralston added. “It’s got to be frustrating to be back in Congress these days, and he might be concerned he won’t be in the majority.”

Some pundits see Democrats taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s election, pointing to President Donald Trump’s poor approval ratings. However, a congressional redistricting battle playing out across the nation could change those odds.

Concerning Nevada’s 2nd district, Ralston sees it as in the air.

Republican David Flippo — endorsed by Parks’ Washoe County Republican Party — is opportunistic, as he switched his run for office to the 2nd district when Amodei opted out, Ralston said. However, he’s spending a lot of money on his campaign.

Republican James Settelmeyer, a former state Senate minority leader, has the endorsements of both Lombardo and Amodei, though Ralston said he’s not certain how much those will help.

“I would not be surprised if Flippo won,” Ralston added.

Eyeing the Democratic candidates, Ralston pointed to Benitez-Thompson, a former Assembly majority leader and staff with the attorney general. Ralston, like King, also mentioned Kidd, though he noted that Kidd previously ran as an independent before switching to the Democratic Party.

Ralston figures that if Settelmeyer wins his primary, it’ll make a Democratic win in November nearly impossible.

Nevada votes

Ralston sees Nevada as a political petri dish, a spot the rest of the country monitors.

Sondra Cosgrove, executive director of Vote Nevada, also sees national importance for the Silver State’s election.

A history professor at the College of Southern Nevada, Cosgrove said she named her nonprofit with the directive she always tells people — “vote.”

That’s especially important in a race for the state’s executive. California lawmakers are in session for most of the year. In Nevada, the Legislature meets for 120 days every two years.

“The governor has a lot of discretion for managing the state,” she added.

Nevada Republicans and Democrats each have slightly over a quarter of registered voters — some 666,000 Democrats and around 656,000 Republicans. Nonpartisan voters comprise some 40% of the electorate, or about 965,000. The remaining 10% are comprised of the Independent American Party, Libertarians or are listed as “other.” Nevada has 2.45 million registered voters.

Cosgrove pointed to the 2024 election, where Nevada favored Trump, a Republican, and Democratic U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen.

“They vote for the person instead of the party,” Cosgrove said.

While Cosgrove considers the state purple, she said it’s nearly impossible for a nonpartisan candidate to win higher office.

It’s easy for an independent candidate to get on the ballot, as they only need 100 signatures, which puts them on the general election ballot.

However, Cosgrove said Nevada voters tend to pick their favorites during the primary election season.

“If you don’t like the Republican or Democratic candidate, then you just don’t vote,” she added.