In fast-growing and politically shifting Washoe County in northern Nevada, races for county commission seats are heating up, with the political leaning of the panel, currently split 3-2 with a Republican majority, in Game.
The commission makes decisions on business licensing and development projects in unincorporated areas and has a key role in addressing the availability of housing and infrastructure improvements for the state’s second-largest county, which is experiencing increasing difficulties as its economy grows. and diversifies.
But the county commission also oversees election administration in a purple county that has been decisive in presidential and statewide races, and its execution of that role has been under the microscope in a politically polarized time. The commission elections have drawn widespread attention from people like Robert Beadles, a wealthy activist whose chosen candidate unseated the commission’s former chairman in the 2022 Republican primary.
In the June 11 election, a six-candidate Republican race will determine whether moderate Clara Andriola (appointed to the seat by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and sometimes by a swing vote) will fill the seat or someone to her right. will occupy the position. No Democrats have run for the seat, so the winner of the primary will take office directly.
In the general election, attention will likely shift to District 1, where Democratic Committee Chairman Alexis Hill will face the winner of a three-way Republican primary. It could be a rematch that includes former Republican Commissioner Marsha Berkbigler.
Although Andriola and Hill have a significant financial advantage compared to their opponents, the incumbents are facing candidates who have political clout in the form of Beadles endorsements, advertisements and funds.
Here is a summary of the two races and who is running.
District 4
Republican Clara Andriola is running to retain her seat as Washoe County District 4 commissioner. Despite facing significant criticism from other local Republicans, Andriola has far outperformed her competitors and claimed a balance of more than $91,000 in her latest campaign finance report.
Republican Mark Lawson has the second-largest cash balance on hand, at just over $4,000.
District 4 includes eastern Sparks and Sparks Marina, as well as outlying areas near Reno, such as Hidden Valley and Spanish Springs.
Andriola was appointed to the commission by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in April 2023 to replace former Commissioner Vaughn Hartung, who resigned to become chairman of the Nevada Transportation Authority board. Andriola now faces six challengers for her seat, including Republicans Tracey Hilton-Thomas, Trista Gomez, John L. Walter II and Lawson.
Nonpartisans Gabriel Christenson and Marsela Kupfersmith are also running.
If he wins the election, Andriola said in an interview with The Nevada Independent, he hopes to continue his work clarifying equestrian laws, promoting businesses and supporting law enforcement.
One of Andriola’s rivals, Washoe Republican Party Vice Chairman Hilton-Thomas, regularly appears at Washoe County Commission meetings to participate in public comment, often discussing elections or encouraging religious practices at county meetings, like invocations. She describes herself as an expert in election work and with a long history working for Washoe County, although her work history is in technology for the county.
Hilton-Thomas was endorsed by Robert Beadles for the interim registrar position earlier this year despite Hilton-Thomas’ campaign for another position: commissioner. She is also mentioned on Beadles’ Operation Sunlight blog as a “Candidate to Support!”
Hilton-Thomas said in an interview with The Nevada Independent that she wants to work on transparency in electoral processes if she is elected.
Lawson, a Republican, is also a candidate for Washoe County Commission District 4. He was previously Sparks’ fire chief, but was publicly fired when the city council learned of a felony drug charge against him. He recently received a $381,000 settlement from the City of Sparks for wrongful termination.
Lawson said he wants to be an advocate for the public by increasing services for seniors, increasing transparency in elections and supporting law enforcement.
Gómez, also a Republican, has experience in social work, business and real estate.
Gomez said improving the lives of people in her community prompted her to run. If she wins, she would like to help the commission communicate county functions to the public that she believes are not transparent and better represent the constituents of her district.
“I am the fourth generation here. “This community really matters to me,” Gómez said.
District 1
Incumbent Alexis Hill, a Democrat, may face a rematch with Republican Marsha Berkbigler, who lost to Hill in the 2020 election. Hill has far outperformed her competitors and ended the last campaign finance reporting period with more than 192,000 Dollars. Berkbigler has more than $4,500 in her pocket and has the second-largest campaign fund among District 1 candidates.
District 1 incorporates the western part of Truckee Meadows to the eastern Sierras and includes Incline Village and Crystal Bay on Lake Tahoe.
During Hill’s four years on the commission, he helped bring a sustainability manager to the county, supported Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen’s Truckee Meadows Lands bill that would free up public lands for development, and voted on articles directing more services and people to the Cares Campus. , the largest homeless shelter in Northern Nevada.
Hill also expressed support for the Washoe County Library Board and the registrar of voters at a time when both have come under fire in public comment periods of commission meetings. The library board received criticism for hosting shows like Drag Queen Story Hour and keeping books with LGBTQ+ themes in its collection. The registrar and county have been accused of facilitating voter fraud by Beadles and others, a claim the Secretary of State determined to be false.
If re-elected, Hill hopes to use the next four years to address public health, housing, mental health services and infrastructure issues for Washoe County.
Berkbigler is the only candidate for the commission, prominent donor Robert Beadles, to whom he has donated money in the amount of $5,000. She told The Nevada Independent that she has no personal connection to Beadles, but that she was aware of the campaign donation. Berkbigler also said she does not support Beadles’ claims of voter fraud.
“I’m not an election denier,” Berkbigler said.
Beadles, a prominent donor who made his fortune in cryptocurrency and real estate, regularly spreads misinformation that the 2020 election was stolen.
If elected, Berkbigler said she wants to make life more affordable for Washoe County residents by investing in affordable housing and more affordable housing for seniors. She also wants to increase unity among commissioners and make the public records process more efficient.
Republican Eugene Hoover, who ran for state Senate and lieutenant governor in previous cycles, is also running for the seat. According to his LinkedIn, he is president of Silver State Courier Service, a local transportation company. If he is elected, Hoover wants to create a more efficient public records system, reallocate funds currently allocated to services for homeless seniors and increase affordable housing.
According to the latest campaign finance report, Hoover is completely self-funded. He currently has more than $4,200 on hand after contributing $10,000 to the campaign.
Republican Melissa Fitch is also running for the District 1 seat. She has not raised any money for her campaign.
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