Campaign season puts Pahrump in spotlight

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Food Network "Chopped" star Jessica Johnson (right) at the Pahrump Senior Center on May 11, 2018. Johnson made an appearance at an event put on by the Dennis Hof campaign.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Dave Gibbs, who ran in the 2018 election cycle for Nevada's District 4 U.S. House seat, stands at the Pahrump Senior Center on May 11, 2018. Gibbs was one of several high-profile people in attendance at an event by the Hof Campaign.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times John Prudhont who ran for Nye County treasurer in the 2018 election cycle stands at an event put on by the Hof Campaign at the Pahrump Senior Center on May 11, 2018. Prudhont was one of six candidates in the June primary.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Dennis Hof (left) stands with Food Network "Chopped" star Jessica Johnson (right) at the Pahrump Senior Center on May 11, 2018. The Hof campaign hosted the event that also brought out Grover Norquist.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Ryan Bundy (right), candidate in the 2018 Nevada governor's race, shakes hands with attendees of an event put on by the Dennis Hof campaign on May 11, 2018. Bundy ran as an independent.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times - May 11, 2018 Event for Grover Norquist, Grover Norquist speaks at a campaign rally for Dennis Hof on May 11, 2018. The rally, held at the Pahrump Senior Center, brought out several candidates in the 2018 election cycle.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Grover Norquist at the Pahrump Senior Center on May 11, 2018. Norquist spoke at what was a rally for the Dennis Hof campaign.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Roger Stone (left), who has been a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, stands with Dennis Hof (right) on June 2, 2018 at the Pahrump Nugget. Stone was the key figure at Hof’s campaign rally at the Nugget.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Heidi Fleiss (left) stands next to Dennis Hof (center) and Roger Stone (right), longtime confidant of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally for Hof on June 2, 2018. Stone was the key figure at the rally.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Dennis Hof Dennis Hof speaks at his campaign rally on June 2, 2018 at the Pahrump Nugget in Pahrump. The event’s keynote speaker was Roger Stone who has worked as an adviser for President Donald Trump.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times Nevada Assemblyman James Oscarson, left, Dr. Joseph Bradley, middle, and Dennis Hof, right, participated in a live debate televised by KPVM TV on April 11. The one to nab the Republican nomination for Assembly District 36 will be decided by the primary election.

Horace Langford Jr./Pahrump Valley Times A look at May 31 event for Adam Laxalt held at the Nye County Republican office.

This month’s primary election culminated a busy primary season across Nevada and Nye County.

Highlights included the filing period in March, campaigning throughout the spring, statewide candidate visits to the Pahrump area and more.

Among them: a stop in Pahrump by Roger Stone, confidante and ally of President Donald Trump. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, also visited Pahrump. Both Stone and Norquist appeared on behalf of Nevada Assembly candidate Dennis Hof.

“This ain’t your daddy’s old GOP,” Hof told CNN after his win. “This is the new GOP with Donald Trump running it…Dennis Hof is the Trump of Pahrump.”

On the statewide level, Adam Laxalt brought his “get out the vote” tour to Pahrump as early voting was underway. Laxalt, considered by many as the frontrunner for Nevada governor, is the state’s sitting attorney general.

Also stopping in town was Ryan Bundy, famous for his part in the tense, armed standoff with government officials at his family’s ranch in 2014. He is running for governor without political affiliation, registered with no political party.

And in May, the Food Network’s “Chopped” star, Jessica Johnson, was at the Pahrump Senior Center as part of an event put on by the Hof campaign.

In between campaign appearances were grassroots campaigning and a series of debates involving multiple candidates for various offices. It gave voters a chance to see the prospective officeholders up close in person.

Though the June 12 primary is over, the election season continues.

The general election is Nov. 6, with key races yet to be decided. They include Nevada governor and other statewide offices, a U.S. Senate seat held by Dean Heller, R-Nevada, a U.S. House seat and Nye County sheriff.

Check the Pahrump Valley Times for coverage as the November election approaches.