Nevada’s Republican attorney general, Adam Laxalt, will face off against Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak in a race to replace termed-out Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Laxalt swept the Republican primary with 72% of the vote, easily defeating State Treasurer Dan Schwartz and other candidates.
Sisolak defeated fellow Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani in the Democratic primary, receiving 50% of the vote to her 38.9% following an ugly election battle.
Giunchigliani, who ran as the more liberal candidate, earned a late endorsement from Hillary Clinton. Giunchiliani, the lone vote against the $780 million state subsidy package to build a stadium for the NFL's Raiders, criticized Sisolak for his leading role in the stadium effort.
Laxalt, who counts former stadium financier Sheldon Adelson among his top campaign donors, hasn’t taken a public position. He also hasn’t opined on the $1.3 billion package to bring the Tesla Gigafactory to northern Nevada, but he did say he would favor a more free-market approach.
Laxalt wants to eliminate Gov. Brian Sandoval’s commerce tax, key to his 2015 education reforms; and instead rely on marijuana taxes and government cost-cutting to make up the resultant state budget gap.
A ballot measure to repeal the commerce tax, a tax on businesses that gross more than $4 million, initiated by Republican candidate for treasurer Bob Beers and Controller Ron Knecht, hasn’t qualified for the ballot yet.
Sisolak supports keeping the commerce tax. Laxalt would also dedicate more to a state fund that helps residents pay for private school for their children.
Sisolak, a former member of the Nevada Board of Regents, would prefer to see the money support public schools. He also supports Nevada’s voter-approved decriminalization of marijuana against threats from the federal government.
A Sisolak win in the general election would put a Democrat in the governor's office for the first time in 20 years.
Democrat Zach Conine, a Las Vegas businessman, will face Beers in the treasurer’s race to replace Schwartz. Conine ran unsuccessfully for an Assembly seat in 2016.
Two-term former treasurer Kate Marshall will compete against Sen. Michael Roberson for lieutenant governor.
In the state controller’s race, Republican incumbent Ron Knecht will face Catherine Byrne in the general election. Neither candidate faced challengers in the primary.
