Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo has a lot to lose when it comes to legislative races — his power to veto bills hinges on not losing a single seat to Democrats in the general election.
But if Tuesday’s results are any indication, there’s reason to believe he has a fighting chance to fend off a Democratic supermajority. All of his endorsed legislative candidates prevailed in their primaries, meaning the table is set his way heading toward November.
On the Democratic side, the top storyline was the mixed results of the Culinary Union, the politically influential hospitality workers union that turned heads this cycle by un-endorsing all candidates who voted against one of the union’s top priority bills in the 2023 legislative session. Though the union saw success in Las Vegas’ Assembly District 17,an open seat, it failed in its ambitious quest to unseat Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D-Las Vegas).
In addition, two of the Assembly Democratic Caucus’ preferred candidates lost on Tuesday, though both of those districts are heavily Democratic, meaning the results will likely have no effect on the partisan makeup of the Assembly.
In two other notable races in North Las Vegas, Sen. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) fought off opposition from city officials and the cloud of an FBI investigation to easily defeat higher education Regent Laura Perkins. In the city’s other Senate seat, Senate District 1, Michelee “Shelly” Cruz-Crawford defeated Assemblywoman Clara Thomas (D-North Las Vegas).
Lombardo-backed legislative candidates prevail
In the seven competitive legislative primaries where Lombardo endorsed and supported candidates, all of his backed candidates handily won their races.
In placing his thumb on the scale, Lombardo calculated that his endorsement and support would make a difference in legislative primaries, and it paid off for the governor, though November’s general election will determine whether he maintains his veto power.
“I’m excited about this evening’s resounding primary victories,” Lombardo said in a statement. “Some really good candidates emerged tonight that are committed to a shared, common-sense agenda focused on lowering costs for Nevada families, adding choice and accountability to our education system, and restoring balance in state government.”
Here’s a quick breakdown of the details of those seven races:
- In Assembly District 21, April Arndt, a retired Henderson police officer and detective, defeated Las Vegas chiropractor Jon Petrick. Arndt will face Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola (D-Henderson). In 2022, Marzola defeated Petrick in the general election.
- In Assembly District 29, Annette Dawson Owens defeated Republican Yadusha Williams. In the general election, she will face Democrat Joe Dalia, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The seat is open after Assemblywoman Lesley Cohen (D-Henderson) announced she would not run for re-election.
- Rafael Arroyo, a small business owner, defeated Guadalupe Reyes in Assembly District 41, which includes portions of the southern Las Vegas Valley and Silverado Ranch. Arroyo will face Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) in the general election.
- In Senate District 5, Sen. Carrie Buck (R-Henderson) defeated Republican challenger Richard Frederick. She will face Democrat Jennifer Atlas in the general election.
- In the Senate District 11 Republican primary, attorney Lori Rogich defeated Brian Martin Paonessa for the chance to challenge Sen. Dallas Harris (D-Las Vegas) in the general election.
- In swingy Senate District 18, Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck emerged as the winner of the three-way Republican primary that included Assemblyman Richard McArthur (R-Las Vegas) and businessman Josh Leavitt. Steinbeck will face Democrat Ron Bilodeau, who emerged as the winner in the Senate District 18 Democratic primary, in the general election.
- Former Assemblyman John Ellison (R-Elko) defeated two competitors to represent the ruby-red Senate District 19. He is guaranteed to represent the sprawling, rural district in the 2025 legislative session because no Democrat filed.
Culinary Union has up-and-down night
The primaries were a test of the Culinary Union’s political power — and the results were varied.
The union — which represents 60,000 members across the state and has been a key driver of Democratic victories in the past — handpicked two candidates running against Democratic establishment picks in Senate District 3 and Assembly District 17.
In Senate District 3, Nguyen defeated nurse practitioner Geoconda Hughes, a political newcomer who is the daughter of Culinary’s former Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Argüello-Kline. Throughout Tuesday evening, Nguyen maintained a double-digit lead over Hughes.
The union targeted Nguyen after she supported SB441, a bill that ended pandemic-imposed requirements placed on the gaming industry, including daily hotel room cleaning. After the legislative session, the union secured daily room cleaning requirements as part of its five-year contracts with major Las Vegas resorts.
Two months after picking Hughes to take on Nguyen, the union went a step further by un-endorsing 17 incumbents running for re-election who had also voted for the hotel room cleaning bill.
It is unclear exactly how much money the union spent to unseat Nguyen because campaign donations since April will not be publicly available until mid-July.
However, in Assembly District 17, the union’s pick — union leader and food server Linda Hunt — prevailed over Assembly Democratic Caucus pick Mishon Montgomery, an Air Force veteran and motivational speaker. In the early returns, Hunt had received about two-thirds of the vote.
“Building power for workers isn’t about one election or one cycle but a long-term commitment, and for 89 years, win or lose, the Culinary Union has fought for workers’ rights to be heard and respected in this community, and we shall continue,” the union said in a statement Tuesday.
Democratic establishment-backed candidates mostly succeed
Out of the seven races where Democratic establishment-backed candidates faced challengers, only two were defeated.
In addition to Hunt’s victory over Montgomery in Assembly District 17, community organizer Heather Goulding defeated caucus-backed lawyer Alex Velto in Assembly District 27.
Goulding’s win in the Northern Nevada district hints at the Assembly Democratic Caucus’ weakness in the region. She is the third Democratic Assembly candidate in Northern Nevada since 2018 to win an initial bid for office without the support of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
However, in Senate District 15, Senate Democratic Caucus-backed Assemblywoman Angie Taylor (D-Reno) defeated Reno City Councilwoman Naomi Duerr in the Democratic primary.
Taylor will face Mike Ginsburg, a first-time candidate and former NV Energy manager, in the general election.
The four other races that saw Democratic Caucus-backed incumbents win were Senate District 1, where Cruz-Crawford won, Senate District 5, where Atlas defeated Christian Bishop, Senate District 4, where Neal successfully defended her seat against Perkins, and Nguyen in Senate District 3.
