MUTH: Top 11 GOP primaries to watch in Nevada in 2016

Here are my initial Top 11 legislative races for conservatives to keep an eye on this coming Nevada GOP primary season…

1.) State Senate District 6 (Clark): This will likely be the ugliest legislative race of the season. Freshman Assemblywoman Victoria Seaman vs. freshman Assemblyman Erv Nelson. Seaman voted against the $1.4 billion tax hike. Nelson voted for the $1.4 billion tax hike. Lean Seaman

2.) State Senate District 15 (Washoe): The Republican establishment has anointed former Sandoval chief-of-staff Heidi Gansert for this open seat. Her opponent is conservative businessman Eugene Hoover. Strong Gansert

3.) Assembly District 9 (Clark): Freshman Assemblyman David Gardner is being challenged by Nevada Republican National Committeewoman Diana Orrock. Gardner voted for the $1.4 billion tax hike. Orrock will have the money to make sure voters know it. Lean Orrock

4.) Assembly District 19 (Clark): Freshman Assemblyman Chris Edwards, who voted for the monster tax hike before voting against it, will be facing veteran conservative activist Connie Foust. Toss-up

5.) Assembly District 22: This is an open seat. The conservative outsider is Richard Bunce. The GOP establishment's anointed candidate is lawyer Keith Pickard. Bunce ran strong in this district two years ago. Lean Bunce

6.) Assembly District 26 (Washoe): Conservative Lisa Krasner will face off against the establishment's anointed replacement, Jason Guinasso for this open seat. Lean Guinasso

7.) Assembly District 26 (Washoe): There are four Republicans running in a free-for-all for this open seat - two conservatives, Jennifer Terhune & Kimberlie King-Patraw, and two establishmentarians, Sam Kumar and Jill Tolles. Lean Tolles

8.) Assembly District 29 (Clark): This race will be a rematch of the 2014 primary between Assemblyman Stephan Silberkraus and conservative businesswoman Amy Groves. Silberkraus won by just 485 votes in 2014 - but that was before he voted for the largest tax hike in history. Lean Groves

9.) Assembly District 36 (Nye/rurals): Incumbent Assemblyman James Oscarson has infuriated GOP primary voters in this extremely Republican district. But at least three vote-splitting conservative challengers are in the race: Tina Trenner, Scott Mattox and Rusty Stanberry. Lean Oscarson

10.) Assembly District 37 (Clark): Incumbent Assemblyman Glenn Trowbridge was appointed to fill a vacancy for this seat in 2014. He went on to vote for the $1.4 billion tax hike and is being challenged by conservative businessman Jim Marchant. Lean Marchant

11.) State Assembly District 40 (Carson City): Incumbent Assemblyman P.K. O'Neill voted for the largest tax hike in Nevada history. He's being challenged by former Carson City treasurer Al Kramer and two newbies on the political scene, Chris Forbush and Sam England. Lean O'Neill

Filing opens in March and the landscape could well change as some candidates get cold feet and opt not to run, while some surprise candidates will spring out of the tall grass and file. So stay tuned, Batfans.

Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach and publisher of NevadaNewsandViews.com