Filing period for local, statewide offices closes

The road to the primary election and then to the general appears to be clear sailing for a handful of local candidates and a bumpy road for others.

Two candidates’ nights co-sponsored by the Lahontan Valley News, The Fallon Post, Lahontan Valley Broadcasting and Churchill County Republicans will be held in May and October prior to early voting.

With three seats open on the nonpartisan Churchill County School Board, only three candidates filed. Incumbents Gregg Malkovich and Kathryn Whitaker, along with newcomer Wendy Bullock, have an easy road in winning their positions. Malkovich, a retired teacher and school administrator, is running for his second term, and Western Nevada College professor Whitaker is seeking her third and final term.

Former board President Tricia Strasdin announced earlier she is not running for a third term. Bullock is a newcomer to local elections.

As with the school board, two seats are open for the nonpartisan Mosquito, Vector & Noxious Weed Abatement Board. Incumbents Cindy McGarrah and Marion Jonte are seeking re-election to the board, while David Brown is the newcomer.

Churchill County Commission District 1 became open when incumbent Dr. Justin Heath decided not to seek re-election. Matt Hyde, who is termed out from the school board in 2026, has thrown his hat into the ring as has fellow trustee Julie Guerrero-Goetsch. Both filed as Republicans. In November 2022, Goetsch won a four-year term to the school board, but because of her experience with county government, she is vying for the District 1 seat.

A crowded field has entered the District 3 race with four candidates. Former Commissioner Greg Koenig, who was elected to the Assembly in 2022, stepped down, and former Gov. Steve Sisolak appointed Harry “Bus” Scharmann to fill the remaining two years. Scharmann had served two terms in District 1 before losing his third-term re-election to Heath four years ago.

Koenig, a Republican, is not facing any opponent for the Assembly.

Those running for the District 3 open seat are Eric W. Blakely, John Caetano, Rusty Jardine and Todd Moretto. They are all running as Republicans.

Brenda Ingram and Stuart Richardson are running against Ben Trotter, who was first elected for a six-year term as Justice of the Peace, New River Township in 2018. This is a nonpartisan position.

Only two nonpartisan city races were open this year. Incumbent Mayor Ken Tedford is being challenged by political newcomers Luai N. Ababneh and Jacob James Robertson for the nonpartisan office. Council woman Karla Kent is running unopposed in Ward 2.

Three candidates are running for the Board of Regents, District 9.

Incumbent Regent Carol Del Carlo was first elected to her position in 2016 and was retained to the Board of Regents in the 2018 general election. She represents District 9 which includes Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Storey counties and a portion of Washoe County. She’s a Reno native who now lives at Incline Village.

The other two candidates for the nonpartisan position include Bret Delaire and Gary T. Johnson.

U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, a Republican from Carson City who represents Nevada District 2, will face a field of newcomers running for a congressional office. Challengers include Fred J. Simon Jr., Republican; Lyn Chapman, Independent American Party; Robert Gregory Kidd, no political party; and Javi Tachiquin, Libertarian Party of Nevada.

Incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Las Vegas, was first elected in 2018. She’s facing a crowded field with most of the 21 candidates coming from the Republican Party.

The best-known candidates from the GOP include Sam Brown, Walter A. Tony Grady Jr. and Jim Marchant. Janine Hansen represents the Independent American Party.

Troy Zakari Walker of Las Vegas is the second declared Democratic candidate.

The primary election for most offices is June 11 with early voting May 25 to June 7, and the general election is Nov. 5 with early voting Oct. 19 to Nov. 1.