Statewide primaries in Nevada to watch in the June 9 primary election

Nevada’s June primary is likely to be a low-turnout affair, but there should be high interest in a few statewide races.

Start with the race for attorney general on the Democratic side. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro is running against Treasurer Zach Conine. It’s unusual for two high-profile Democrats to face each other. You can hear the remnants of the Reid machine groaning.

As Senate majority leader, Cannizzaro has more power. But as a statewide elected official, Conine has a bigger profile. Nevada Democrats who lived here in 2022 have likely already voted for him. It may not seem like much, but that matters.

Cannizzaro has leveraged her position to gain a slew of endorsements and amass a substantial war chest. At the end of last year, she had more than $800,000 cash on hand. Conine had around $650,000 in the bank. That’s sizable. He has some notable endorsements, including Rep. Dina Titus.

Republicans also have a contested race for attorney general. Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian, the son of legendary UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, is running. So is Adriana Guzmán Fralick, who previously served as chief deputy district attorney for Carson City.

A recent poll showed that Tarkanian has a substantial lead, 55–17. Even if you are skeptical of polling promoted by campaigns, this makes sense given his last name and previous runs in Southern Nevada.

Guzmán Fralick recently called for current Attorney General Aaron Ford to sue Gov. Gavin Newsom. She wants “to halt the implementation of California’s fuel supply regulations that directly harm Nevada.”

That is a terrific idea. How many Republican primary voters will find out about it is yet to be determined. Gov. Joe Lombardo has endorsed Guzmán Fralick, but I believe she’ll need more substantial outside help to be competitive.

There’s more at stake here than just stopping a Democrat attorney general from repeatedly suing the Trump administration. If Cannizzaro or Conine wins the general election, either would be well positioned to run for governor in 2030 or 2034.

Republicans have a contested primary for state treasurer. Drew Johnson is a rock-solid fiscal conservative who lost heartbreaking races in 2022 and 2024. His wife, Sarah Johnson, was instrumental in the successful effort to keep boys out of girls’ high school sports. That was one of the biggest conservative victories in Nevada in decades. I believe Democrats defunded her position in the lieutenant governor’s office over her work on this.

The other GOP candidate for treasurer is Jeff Carter, who came to Nevada from Chicago after a long and impressive career in finance. He should have run on his resume, but this year, Carter took a nasty personal swipe at Sarah Johnson. He demeaned her infertility and the price she paid for protecting women’s sports. Those types of attacks may play well in Chicago, but they’re gross. Carter should apologize.

It’ll be a long shot for a Republican to win the secretary of state race, but nominating Jim Marchant would be a major own goal.

Primaries matter, so make sure you vote.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com. Follow @victorjoecks on X.