Part 3: A look at the ballot questions and the candidates

The first thing to know is what district you’re voting in. The district in which you are expecting to vote will determine the candidates that show up on your ballot. 

Based on your zip code and address, you can see which districts you are looking for and can figure out which candidates you can choose on the Nevada legislature site.

Below is the ballot questions and what it means to be voting on them.

Ballot Questions

Below is a play-by-play of what the ballot questions on the ballot for Nevada are and the candidates for the university’s zone:

Ballot Question 1: Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended by adding a specific guarantee that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its cities, counties, or other political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin?

• If voters say YES: This supports adding language to the Nevada Constitution to prohibit the denial rights based on an individual’s race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.
• If voters say NO: This opposes adding this amendment to the Nevada Constitution which prohibits the denial of the rights based on individual’s race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.

Ballot Question 2: Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended, effective July 1, 2024, to: (1) establish the State’s minimum wage that employers must pay to certain employees at a rate of $12 per hour worked, subject to any applicable increases above that $12 rate provided by federal law or enacted by the Nevada Legislature; (2) remove the existing provisions setting different rates for the minimum wage based on whether the employer offers certain health benefits to such employees; and (3) remove the existing provisions for adjusting the minimum wage based on applicable increases in the cost of living?

• If voters say YES: They support amending the Constitution to (1) increase the minimum wage for Nevad employees to $12 per hour by July 1, 2024, (2) remove the minimum wage annual inflation adjustments and (3) allow the state legislature to have the power to pass a minimum wage law to increase the rate rather than based it on the original constitutional-set minimum.
• If voters say NO: They oppose putting this amendment in the Constitution. Their opposition therefore maintains the existing two-part system of wage, which allows a $12 minimum wage for employees with no health benefits and a $11 minimum wage for employees with health benefits by 2024. The opposition also keeps annual inflation adjustments as set in the state constitution.

Ballot Question 3: Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended to allow all Nevada voters the right to participate in open primary elections to choose candidates for the general election in which all voters may then rank the remaining candidates by preference for the offices of U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Controller, Attorney General, and State Legislators?

• If voters say YES: They support establishing an open primary for five top spots to be chosen, as well as a ranked-choice voting system for candidates in general elections, which would apply to congressional, gubernatorial, state executive official and state legislative elections. People on the pro-side of the questions say it gives voters more options of candidates in the primaries and general elections. 
• If voters say NO: They oppose establishing the top-five open primary system and oppose the ranked-choice voting implementation for general elections. People on this side believe the system will be too confusing and make voting much more complicated.

Candidate Races

In each of the races, the Sagebrush will state their political party, hyperlink their websites for more information about their campaign and give a brief summary of each of the candidate’s experiences.

U.S. Senate

• Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat): She is the current incumbent of the Senate position. Masto served as attorney general of Nevada from 2007 to 2015, served as assistant county manager for Clark County and acted as a federal criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

• Adam Laxalt (Republican): Laxalt was attorney general of Nevada from 2015 to 2019. He also served as a judge advocate general at Forward Operating Base Camp Victory in Iraq and worked as a special adviser to the U.S. Department of State. He was also a law professor in the U.S. Naval Academy and operated his own legal practice in Las Vegas.

• Barry Lindemann (Independent): Lindemann earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint John’s University in 1987 and his graduate degree from Pepperdine University in 2015. He also  does construction, real estate and financing in Las Vegas.

• Barry Rubinson (Independent American): Rubinson attended Case Western Reserve University from 1969 to 1974 and graduated with a Master of Science in Computer Engineering. He also served as the Chief Technology Officer for TextWise from 2008 to 2014. 

• Neil Scott (Libertarian): No biographical information.

Attorney General 

• Aaron Ford (Democrat): Ford is the current incumbent of the Attorney General position. He served as the Majority and Minority Leader in the Nevada State Legislature and served on many committees in the legislature from 2013 to 2019. He spent time as a partner for two private practices and was a public school math teacher.

• Sigal Chattah (Republican): Chattah attended Widener University School of Law in Pennsylvania before she returned to Nevada and started her own law firm. She also served as Planning Commissioner and was a member of the South Nevada Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Nevada. 

Governor

• Steve Sisolak (Democrat): Sisolak currently serves as the incumbent of the governor position in Nevada since 2019. He built his own communications business and served as the District 2 member of the Nevada Board of Regents from 1999 to 2008. He was a member of the Clark County Commission from 2009 to 2019 and served as chairman from 2013 to 2019.

• Joe Lombardo (Republican): Lombardo served in the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the Army Reserve and worked as an officer in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, before being elected Clark County sheriff in 2014. Lombardo currently serves as a Board Member for Nevada Child Seekers and Chairman of MCCA Intelligence Committee.

• Edward Bridges II (Independent American): Bridges served in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years and retired as a colonel. Bridges was a Republican candidate for the county legislature in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1987 and was a Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress in the third district of Nevada in 2009.

• Brandon Davis (Libertarian): Davis is the CEO of a Las Vegas based marketing and advertising agency. He also acts as the Elections Committee Director for the Libertarian Party of Nevada. 

Secretary of State

• Cisco Aguilar (Democrat): Aguilar served as a member and eventually chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission. He also served as the founding Chairman of Cristo Rey St. Viator Board of Trustees and acted as Special Counsel to Jim Rogers, Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education and General Counsel for Agassi Graf.

• Jim Marchant (Republican): Marchant founded the Federation of Internet Service Providers of America and served as its president for six years. In 1999 he was appointed to serve on the Florida Information Service Technology Development Task Force. Marchant served on the Nevada State Assembly seat representing District 37 and the Commerce and Labor, Energy, Taxation and Government Affairs Committees.

• Janine Hansen (Independent American Party): Hansen acted as a citizen advocate at the Nevada Legislature from 1971-2019. She also worked as the  Executive Director of the Independent American Party and State Chairman of the Independent American Party. Hasen acts as the Constitutional Issues Chairman for the National Eagle Forum.

• Ross Crane (Libertarian): No biographical information.

U.S. House District 2

• Mark Amodei (Republican): Amodei is the current incumbent of the representative position for the U.S. House for Nevada District 2. Amodei is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and previously worked as an Army officer and state legislator.

• Elizabeth Mercedes Krause (Democrat): Mercedes Krause serves as a commissioner on the Nevada Minority Affairs Commission and is the co-founder of Indigenous Educators Empowerment. She also acts as the Chair of the Nevada Native Caucus and was an inaugural member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Cabinet for the Nevada Department of Education.

• Russell Best (Independent American): Best was a 2018 candidate for Nevada governor and a 2014 candidate for the fourth district of the U.S. House of Representatives in Nevada. He was also a 2012 candidate for the U.S. House for the second congressional district.

• Darryl Baber (Libertarian): No biographical information.

Lieutenant Governor

• Lisa Cano Burkhead (Democrat): Burkhead is the incumbent Lieutenant Governor. She was a Spanish and English teacher at Clark County schools and eventually became the Dean of Students and Assistant Principal at Eldorado High School. She also worked as the chief of staff to Northwest Region Superintendent Richard A. Carranza.

• Stavros Anthony (Republican): Anthony was elected to represent Ward 4 in 2009 and currently serves as a City Councilman. He served as a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer and a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.

• Bill Hoge (Independent American): No biographical information.

• Javi Tachiquin (Libertarian): No biographical information.

• Trey Delap (Nonpartisan): Delap served as a full-time lobbyist in every legislative session since 2017. He was also an instructor for the College of Southern Nevada Community Health Worker training program.

Nevada Controller:

• Ellen Spiegel (Democrat): Spiegel acted as the first Vice President of the Nevada Federation of Democratic Women. She also served as the chair of the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor, the vice-chair of the Assembly Committee on Taxation and the vice-chair of the Assembly Committee on Ways & Means Subcommittee on K-12/Higher Education/Capital Improvement Programs.

• Andy Matthews (Republican): Matthews started as a sports journalist and served as the president of the Nevada Policy Research Institute. He now serves as Nevada’s Assemblyman from District 37.

• Jed Profeta (Libertarian): No biographical information.

Nevada Court of Appeals (Seat 2)

• Michael P. Gibbons (Nonpartisan): Gibbons is the incumbent of seat two of the Nevada Court of Appeals. He was appointed in 2014 by Governor Sandoval and was appointed as the first Chief Judge of the court.

Nevada Court of Appeals (Seat 1)

• Rhonda Forsberg (Nonpartisan): Since 2019, Forsberg has served as Judge of Family Court Department G of the Eighth Judicial District Court. 

• Deborah Westbrook (Nonpartisan): Westbrook has served the community as an appellate attorney with the Clark County Public Defender’s office for the last eight years.

Nevada Court of Appeals (Seat 3)

• Bonnie Bulla (Nonpartisan): Bulla is the current incumbent of this seat. She is running unopposed. 

Nevada State Treasurer

• Zach Conine (Democrat): Conine is the current incumbent of the Nevada State Treasurer position. He currently serves as the chair of the State Infrastructure Bank and the Board of Trustees of the College Savings Plans of Nevada.

• Michele Fiore (Republican): Fiore spent two terms in the Nevada Legislature representing Clark County’s Assembly District 4 and served on Education, Health and Human Services, Commerce and Labor, Judiciary, Legislative Operations and Elections, and Transportation Committees.

• Margaret Hendrickson (Independent American): No biographical information.

• Bryan Elliott (Libertarian): No biographical information.

Nevada Supreme Court Seat A

• Linda M. Bell (Nonpartisan): Judge Bell currently serves as the Chief Judge for the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County. She is running unopposed. 

Nevada Supreme Court Seat E

• Ron Parraguirre (Nonpartisan): Parraguirre currently acts as the incumbent in this seat. He is running unopposed. 

Nevada State Senate District 13

• Skip Daly (Democrat): Daly acted as a State Assemblymen and Business Manager for the Laborers Union Local 169. 

• Matthew Buehler (Republican): Buehler is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and a Master’s degree graduate from UNR. 

Nevada State Assembly District 24

• Sarah Peters (Democrat): Peters is the current incumbent of this Assembly position. She is also a project manager at McGinnis and Associates Environmental. 

• Dorzell King (Republican): King previously lived in a homeless shelter and worked an entry level position and has now become a volunteer member of Northern Nevada Red Cross.

Washoe County Assessor: 

• Wendy Jauregui-Jackins (Democrat): She has worked in different positions in the county assessor’s office for 15 years. 

• Chris Sarman (Republican): He worked as Supervisor and Senior Appraiser for the Washoe County Assessor’s Dept. 

Washoe County Clerk: 

• Janis Galassini (Republican): Galassini currently works as the Washoe County Clerk and is running unopposed in this race. 

Washoe County Commission District 2:

• Keith Lockard (Democrat): Lockard served as a senior civil engineer and director of traffic and transportation. He worked closely with the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission.

• Michael Clark (Republican): Clark worked as a union man and then a businessman. He served two terms as the Washoe County Tax Assessor as well. 

• David Banuelos (Libertarian): No biographical information.

Washoe County Commission District 3:

• Marialuz Garcia (Democrat): Garcia currently acts as the Executive Director of the Dean’s Future-Scholars program for UNR’s College of Education & Human Development. She also founded the Nevada First-Gen Network. 

• Denise Myer (Republican): Myer worked as an Industrial Safety Auditor for the Western  States and is currently an Industrial Safety Engineer for a local company. 

Washoe County Commission District 5:

• Edwin Lyngar (Democrat): Lyngar served in the Army National Guard directly out of college and later served as a law enforcement public information officer at the Nevada Department of Wildlife in Reno. 

• Mary Herman (Republican): Herman currently acts as the incumbent for this commissioner position. One accomplishment of many she was known for was organizing a joint North Valleys clean up committee. 

Washoe County District Attorney:

• Christopher Hicks (Republican): Hicks is the current incumbent of the Washoe County District Attorney position. He is running unopposed in this race.
  

Washoe County Public Administrator:

• Molly Stewart (Democrat): Stewart has worked more than twenty years in many Washoe County law firms. She currently heads the trust and estate settlement team at a Nevada trust company.

• Nicole Klitzke (Republican): Klitzke has worked for a 17-year tenure in this office. She was an Administrative Assistant and now serves as the Chief Deputy Public Administrator.

Washoe County Recorder: 

• Kalie Work (Democrat): Work is the current incumbent of the Washoe County Recorder position. She is running unopposed in this race. 

Washoe County Sheriff: 

• Darin Balaam (Nonpartisan): Balaam is the current incumbent of this position. He is running unopposed in this race. 

Washoe County Treasurer:

• Molton Taylor (Republican): No biographical information.

Mayor of Reno

• Hillary Schieve (Nonpartisan): Schieve is the current incumbent of this position. Previously, she served as an At-Large Reno City Council Member. Schieve is the owner and operator of three businesses in Reno.

• Eddie Lorton (Nonpartisan): Lorton served on the 4th Street Corridor Committee in Reno, the Alcohol Advisory Committee in Reno and the Galena Country Estates Homeowners Association. He also started the business E.T. Carpet Cleaning.

Reno City Attorney

• Karl Hall (Nonpartisan): Hall is the current incumbent of this position. He is running unopposed in this race. 

Reno Municipal Court Department 2

• Shelly O’Neill (Nonpartisan): No biographical information.

Reno Municipal Court Department 3

• Justin Champagne (Nonpartisan): Champagne served as a polling place manager for the Washoe County Registrar of Voters since 2008. He also worked for the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office for 15 years. 

• Pete Sferrazza (Nonpartisan): Sferrazza has served as a judge for the Reno Justice Court for 15 years and served as County Commissioner from 1998 to 2007. 

Reno Municipal Court Department 4

• Christopher Hazlett-Stevens (Nonpartisan): Hazlitt-Stevens is the current incumbent of this position. He also relaunched the Reno Municipal Community Court. He previously worked as a compliance investigator and a prosecutor.

• Henry Sotelo (Nonpartisan): Sotelo is a practicing attorney mostly in criminal law. He taught law at Truckee Meadows Community College and is now Director of the Paralegal Program. He previously has served as a Washoe County Deputy District Attorney and as a Reno Deputy City Attorney Prosecutor.

Reno Township Justice Court Department 2

• Kendra Bertschy (Nonpartisan): Bertschy worked for a legal aid center, Washoe Legal Services, as a Child Advocate Attorney representing children in foster care and currently works as a trial attorney.

• Bruce Hahn (Nonpartisan): Hahn currently works as Judge Pro Tempore for the Sparks Municipal Court and previously worked as the Chief Deputy District Attorney for Washoe County.

Reno Township Justice Court Department 3

• Ryan Sullivan (Nonpartisan): Sullivan is the current incumbent of this position. She is running unopposed in this race. 

Reno Township Justice Court Department 4 

• Scott E. Pearson (Nonpartisan): Pearson is the current incumbent of this position. He is running unopposed in this race. 

Reno Township Justice Court Department 5

• David Clifton (Nonpartisan): Clifton is the current incumbent of this position. He is running unopposed in this race.

To find more information on the candidates, you can visit each of their individual websites — or visit https://ballotpedia.org to find specific information on all Nevada candidates and more information on the Nevada ballot questions.

Jaedyn Young can be reached at jaedynyoung@sagebrush.unr.edu.com or on Twitter @jaedyn_young3.