Contests heat up as primary election arriving in Nye County

The 2018 candidates list is now set and early voting set to start May 26 ahead of the June 12 primary election in Nye County and Nevada.

For some offices, those in which only Republican or only Democratic candidates filed, the primary will be the deciding factor. The winners of those contests will have their names placed on the general election ballot as a matter of form but they will essentially be elected as of the primary.

The top two vote-getters in nonpartisan primary races will go on to the general election, unless one of the candidates receives a majority of the votes in the primary. In that case, they will be considered elected to office and will not have to appear on the general election ballot.

Nye County has several major seats to be decided this year. The following are all partisan offices with four-year terms except for the Nevada Assembly and U.S. House seats, which are two years each:

Nye County Commission

District 4

The Nye County Commission District 4 seat is wide open in 2018 with current commissioner Butch Borasky unable to run for re-election due to term limits.

Republicans set to battle for District 4 include Leo Blundo, Ron Boskovich, Tina Trenner and Walt Turner.

That candidate will go against Democrat Richard Goldstein. Independent American candidate Frank Maurizio originally filed for the race as well but withdrew.

Nye County Commission

District 5

Incumbent commissioner Dan Schinhofen, a Republican, has filed for re-election. He will vie for the seat against three others, Dwight Lilly, Leo Marchetti and Debra Strickland. As all candidates in this race are registered Republicans, the District 5 seat will be determined by the June 12 primary results.

Nye County Public

Administrator

Pahrump resident and Republican Ginger Stumne is hoping to make her position as Nye County public administrator official in the 2018 election. She was appointed to the office in mid-2017 by the Nye County Commission, following the resignation of then-assessor Robin Dorand-Rudolf.

Stumne will square off with Oren Hampton, also a Republican, in the primary election.

Nye County District

Attorney

There are three contenders desiring to head the Nye County district attorney’s office. Incumbent Angela Bello and Chris Arabia, both Republicans, will fight it out in the primary election. The winner will then head to the general election, where they will be head-to-head with Democratic candidate Nicholas Del Vecchio.

Nye County Treasurer

The Nye County treasurer’s seat is currently filled by former Nye County Manager Pam Webster. Despite her statement following her appointment to the treasurer’s position that she was not intending to run for that office in the 2018 election, Webster declared her candidacy last week.

There are several candidates prepared to challenge Webster, including Borasky, Cammy Leier, John Prudhont and Mary Zlotek, all Republicans. Voters will choose between these five in the primary, after which whoever emerges triumphant will head to the general election to face off with Independent American Lance Roy Schaus.

Nye County Recorder

Longstanding Nye County Recorder Deborah Beatty is seeking another four years in that office and she is set to head directly to the general election, where she will contend with Independent American Michael Noyes.

The 2018 election also includes several races that are non-partisan. The following are non-partisan races.

Nye County Sheriff

Nye County sheriff, a four-year term, has the largest group of candidates in the local elections this year and the list includes one candidate that may come as a surprise to many, former Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo.

There are nine others focused on snagging the position of Nye County’s top cop, including incumbent Sharon Wehrly, who took office following a successful bid for election in 2014.

She and DeMeo will face Gerald Butler, Dave Champion, David Hiebert, Asa Kulkin, Ray “The Flagman” Mielzynski, Joe Moffett, Tasha Pfaff and Kenneth Rex in the primary election. The top two will go to the general, unless one candidate manages to secure the 50 percent plus one vote in the primary.

Justice of the Peace —

Pahrump

Six candidates have filed for Pahrump justice of the peace. Former Nye County Commissioner Frank Carbone, after declining to run for re-election as a commissioner in 2016, has decided to re-enter politics in pursuit of the justice of the peace position. Lisa Chamlee, Richard Hamilton, Randy Jones, Robert Martin and Warren Pawliuk are all prepared to battle with him to secure a six-year term in that office. The justice of the peace race is much the same as the sheriff’s contest, with all candidates going to the primary and the top two, barring the 50 percent plus one vote, will go to the general election.

Nye County School

District Board of Trustees

The Area 3 race includes Ray Grant, John Norvell, Mark Owens and Donald Rust. The four will go to the primary followed by the top two in the general election.

Nevada Assembly

District 36

For District 36, incumbent Republican James Oscarson is running for re-election. In the Republican primary, he will vie against former Assembly candidate Dennis Hof and Dr. Joseph Bradley.

4th Congressional District

Nye County voters will play a role in selecting who will sit as the Congressional District 4 representative at the federal level as well. In all, 16 candidates are competing in the primary.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes