Bello and Arabia face off in primary race for Nye district attorney

The 2018 primary election ballot will include two Republicans in the hunt for the position of Nye County district attorney.

Angela Bello

The incumbent candidate, Angela Bello, said she is seeking re-election for the simple reason that she does not believe there could be a better job for her.

Bello detailed: “The last four years as the county DA have been the most gratifying of my 18-year career… It’s an honor to serve and I hope the people will allow me to continue to do so.”

Starting in constitutional law and then moving into the criminal sector, Bello outlined her experience in everything from federal claims litigation to defending the MGM against mass tort litigation. Bello has even argued before the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. Now, as DA, she said she feels she has found that she and the job are a perfect fit.

Bello explained her view of the accomplishments of the DA’s office in the past three years, noting, “Our staff is now as diverse as our duties in terms of gender and race and new policies have greatly advanced victims’ rights. We put available but unused technology to work, improving efficiency and accountability.”

Bello also touched on her role as a legal advisor for other county officials, stating, “We have worked to see our officials stay within the law. For example, by rewriting the Public Safety and Use Tax ordinance to stop its overreach and working with the sheriff to amend our Peace Officer Advisory Review Board ordinance to make it a meaningful tool of transparency.”

When campaigning in 2014, Bello assured the community that she would be an accessible DA and she said she feels she has fully honored that promise, with such outreach efforts as the Donuts with the DA meetings.

While those informal meetings were discontinued in light of the pending election, Bello said she has plans to bring the concept back into practice but with a more regimented feel. “In the future, this will be taken to a new level,” Bello explained. “As one of my first acts in the new term, I will create a formalized public integrity/anti-corruption community partnership program.”

Voters can learn more about Bello at www.angelabellonv.com

Chris Arabia

Challenging Bello in the Republican Primary is Chris Arabia, who said he comes with extensive experience and success in criminal defense, something he believes gives him an edge over his opponent.

“I am really the only candidate in the race who has put in the time and has the experience in the trenches,” Arabia asserted. “I have been very successful in every area of criminal law, everything from misdemeanors to a murder trial to appeals, state and federal. I also have a lot of experience in civil law but the main thing is what I can bring that no one else can, experience in criminal defense.”

Arabia stated that the office of the DA is extremely important as it is the hub around which the law moves.

“It has a lot to do with how the laws are enforced and how well they are enforced and that is an area where we need improvement,” Arabia stated. He remarked that a key factor in running the DA’s office is the ability to balance two sometimes conflicting interests, the need to protect the public and get justice for victims, along with the need to protect the constitutional rights of all, even the accused.

“Having the skill to balance those is imperative. We need to keep the community safe but at the same time we don’t want to violate people’s rights,” he said.

“I am very excited about what I think I can do, from having watched that office for a long time,” Arabia concluded. “If voters know people or have any relationship with those who work at the courthouse, whether it’s judges, law enforcement, defense attorneys, prosecutors, I would urge them to ask around and I have no doubt that the vast majority of people who know what goes on the in the courthouse would say that I would be the better candidate.”

Voters can learn more about Arabia at his Facebook page, Chris Arabia for Nye DA.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com.