Political heavyweights look toward November in Silver State

By Liam Hibbert
The Center Square

Some of Nevada’s biggest candidates, fresh off primary election victories, have already turned their attention to the general election in November.

The state’s primary on Tuesday set up some major head-to-head battles between candidates who have gained significant endorsements and campaign donations.

Out of a crowd of 15 candidates in the gubernatorial race, Gov. Joe Lombardo and Attorney General Aaron Ford won the Republican and Democratic slots respectively on the Nov. 3 ballot. The two candidates had been seen as favorites in the months leading up to the June primary, which ended in a landslide 90.87% win for Lombardo and 63.49% in favor of Ford.

“I am honored by the confidence Nevadans have placed in me, and I will continue working every day on behalf of every Nevadan – whether they voted for me or not,” Lombardo told The Center Square in a statement after the primary results. “Together, we will build on our progress, finish the job, and make Nevada the best place in America to live, work, and raise a family.”

The result sets up what is expected to be a neck-and-neck November general election. A March poll by Noble Predictive Insights found the two candidates nearly tied at Lombardo with 39% of respondents’ support and Ford at 38%.

“Today, Nevada, is the beginning of the end of the failed Lombardo-Trump economy,” Ford told reporters after the primary results were released. “Today we say no more – no more to failed leadership in Carson City that lets jobs disappear while our prices are soaring … Today we say loud and clear that Carson City belongs to the people.”

Carson City is the capital of Nevada.

With Ford facing a term limit, it’s the first time in eight years that no incumbent is running in the attorney general race.

Four candidates – two Democrats and two Republicans – lined up in the attorney general’s race. State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Clark County, beat Treasurer Zach Conine for the Democratic ticket with 60.68% of votes. Attorney Adriana Fralick won 60.17% of votes over Republican challenger Danny Tarkanian. Fralick (109,471) and Cannizzaro (110,600) won near-identical vote totals.

Fralick, having never been elected to political office, gained crucial endorsements from Lombardo and Trump ahead of the primary.

“I am proud to have the support and endorsement of both President Trump and Gov. Lombardo,” Fralick told The Center Square ahead of the primary election. “But my job as attorney general would be to represent the interests of Nevada and enforce Nevada law, regardless of who occupies the White House or the Governor’s Mansion.”

April campaign fund filings showed that Fralick had raised the least of the four candidates with $165,000, while Cannizzaro had over $986,000 cash on hand in what is likely to be a tight November election for the state’s top law enforcement position.

“I have never forgotten where I came from,” Cannizzaro told reporters on the primary results, noting how she was raised in Nevada. “I’m ready to take that fight to anyone who tries to take that opportunity and that dream from Nevada families just like mine, or who try to make it harder for everyday Nevadans. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do as your next attorney general.”

In the state’s 1st Congressional District, the partisan primaries were packed with a total of nine candidates. The results show the longtime incumbent, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, will take on state Sen. Carrie Ann Buck, R-Clark County.

The two candidates won their primary elections on decisive tallies, with Titus obtaining 75.92% and Buck at 77.81%.

Titus is seeking to win her eighth term in the district, which contains parts of the Las Vegas area, including the Las Vegas Strip, the nearby city of Henderson and rural areas of Clark County. She has focused on an economic agenda and her experience in Congress.

“There is no substitute for experience and hard work,” Titus told The Center Square, answering questions by email. “During this Congress, I have already passed multiple bills through the House with overwhelming bipartisan votes. And President Trump, even after he endorsed my opponent, signed my bill into law which would enhance water security, increase conservation, and prevent millions of dollars of economic loss to businesses in Henderson.”

Buck went against the odds to outraise Titus on campaign funds ahead of the primary election, positioning herself as a candidate who previously flipped a Democratic-held state senate seat. Her campaign did not respond to a request for comment by The Center Square after the primary results.

In a statement on her X social media account responding to a media outlet’s post calling the election in her favor, Buck said, “Thank you so much to the voters of Nevada’s First Congressional District! It is an honor to be your Republican Nominee, and I look forward to serving you in Congress.”

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election will take place from Oct. 17 to Oct. 30.