Nye County Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore filed for re-election to her seat in Pahrump on Tuesday, despite currently being suspended from the bench by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline. 

Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman, was convicted more than a year ago on six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for her role in using donations intended for a fallen police officer’s statue for personal use. 

However, she received a pardon from President Donald Trump in April and planned to return to the bench. The Nye County Commission appointed Fiore to the seat in 2022 and she was elected in 2023.

At the time, the judicial commission said that the pardon warranted a repeal of Fiore’s initial suspension without pay, which had been in place since her October 2024 conviction.

In May, the commission reimposed the suspension, but with pay, saying in a unanimous ruling that additional complaints had been levied against Fiore. 

“[H]er return to full judicial duties pending the disposition of additional complaints poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public and to the administration of justice,” according to the ruling. 

The commission planned to address the decision at a later date to determine if the suspension will be lifted.

In a statement posted to her Facebook page, Fiore wrote, “Throughout my life and public service, I have never backed down from a challenge, and I am not about to start now.”

Fiore, a former state Republican assemblywoman and failed candidate for state treasurer, said last year she planned to seek re-election to her judicial seat.

Updated at 4:42 p.m. on 1/7/2025 to include statement from Fiore.

— Howard Stutz, 1/6/2026 at 5:23 p.m.

Judicial candidate filing opens; Herndon, Pickering file for re-election to Supreme Court

Below are updates on the latest 2026 Nevada major candidate announcements. To see a comprehensive list of candidates who have announced, see our tracker here.

Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Douglas Herndon and Justice Kristina Pickering filed for re-election to their seats on the state’s highest court Monday, the first day of the 10-day filing period for judges statewide.

Through Tuesday morning, 90 candidates had filed for judge positions statewide, according to the secretary of state’s website. 

All 32 Clark County District Court civil and criminal judge positions and the 26 family court seats are up for election in 2026. Washoe County has 16 District Court judge seats.

A handful of justices of the peace and municipal court judge seats are on the ballot. The 10-day filing period for constitutional offices, legislative offices and county and municipal government positions opens March 2.

Herndon was elected to the Nevada Supreme Court in November 2020. He spent 15 years as a Clark County District Court judge, having originally been appointed to the bench by Gov. Kenny Guinn in 2005. Herndon spent 14 years in the Clark County District Attorney's Office, including nine years as the chief of the special victims unit.

Pickering had a long career in private practice, handling complex civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels before her election to the Nevada Supreme Court in 2008.

The Nevada Supreme Court has seven seats and justices serve six-year terms; the seats of Pickering and Herndon are the only ones up for election this cycle.

— Howard Stutz, 1/6/2026 at 1:10 p.m.

Longtime family court judge Ochoa won’t seek re-election

Clark County Family Court Judge Vincent Ochoa said Monday he would not seek re-election to the seat he has held since its inception in 2011. He has been elected to the Department S seat three times.

Ochoa said he was the first Hispanic attorney in the attorney general’s office and was in private practice when he was elected judge. He has been an attorney for 45 years. Ochoa said he intends to complete his final year as a judge in 2027.

Ochoa becomes the third family court judge to announce his intentions not to seek re-election, following Judge Art Ritchie, who held his Department H seat for 27 years, and Judge Robert Teuton, who has been the Department D judge since 2010.

There are 26 family court departments in Clark County, all of which will be on the 2026 ballot. Filing for judicial elections takes place from Jan. 5 to Jan. 16.

— Howard Stutz, 12/8/2025 at 3:51 p.m.

Henderson teacher announces run for Nevada controller, becoming first Democrat in the race

Michael MacDougall, a Henderson schoolteacher, announced Thursday that he is running for Nevada controller, making him the first Democrat to enter the statewide race. 

MacDougall is a Las Vegas native who teaches at The Adelson School, a private, pre-K-12 Jewish school. 

Incumbent Andy Matthews, a Republican who previously held a seat in the Legislature and led the libertarian think tank Nevada Policy Research Institute, won the seat in 2022 and is running for re-election next year. So far, he is unchallenged in the Republican primary.

The controller acts as Nevada’s chief fiscal officer, responsible for collecting the state’s debts, processing and auditing its transactions and publishing an annual report on its finances.

Matthews received criticism earlier this year for the delayed release of the state’s 2023 financial report, which was not published until August 2025. In a February budget hearing, Matthews acknowledged that “the controller’s office was not as assertive as it needed to be” in securing the information for the report.

In his campaign announcement, MacDougall wrote that he “will bring integrity, accountability, and organization to the controller’s office.” 

MacDougall elaborated in a comment to The Nevada Independent that the controller position is “fundamentally about trust” and that, if elected, he will focus on boosting the “clarity and accessibility” of the annual financial reports.

— Kate Reynolds, 11:05 a.m. on 12/04/2025

Assembly Speaker Yeager decides against running for Clark County Commission

Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), who previously announced he’s not running for  re-election to the Assembly next year, told The Nevada Independent Monday he has also decided not to run for the open seat on the powerful Clark County Commission in 2026.

Yeager told The Indy that the county commission was “not the right place for me at the moment,” saying he hopes to run for elected office again one day but would be taking a break from public service. The seat is open after Commissioner Justin Jones, who has been dogged by a controversy over deleted text messages surrounding a development near Red Rock Canyon, announced he would not seek re-election.

Yeager’s announcement comes after a contentious special legislative session in which several of his caucus members openly challenged his leadership.

One member of his caucus, Assm. Selena La Rue Hatch, invoked a little-known rule in an attempt to kill the film tax credits bill he had championed. 

Following that, Assm. Selena Torres-Fossett (D-Las Vegas) attempted — and failed — to block Yeager’s decision to allow Assembly members to vote virtually.

Yeager denied the events of the special session had any influence on his decision around the Clark County Commission seat. 

“Some of the things that happened during the special session were disappointing,” he told The Indy, but “that did not factor into it, really, in any way.” He said he was already leaning against running for the commission before the session began. 

In August, Yeager and Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) jointly announced they were not going to run for re-election to the Assembly in 2026, leaving the chamber’s Democratic caucus without two of its top-ranking members.

Assm. Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas), the speaker pro tempore and chair of the chamber’s powerful budget committee, is also not running for re-election, choosing instead to run for mayor of North Las Vegas.

Yeager reported he had been considering a run for Clark County Commission since September, when District F Commissioner Jones announced he was not running for re-election. Yeager said he wanted to wait until after the session wrapped up to come to a final decision. 

Ultimately he decided he wanted to have additional free time to spend with loved ones and “pursue some of my passions, reconnect with friends, get involved in some of the volunteer organizations I used to be a part of.”

Yeager was first elected to the state assembly in 2016. Prior to that, he was a Clark County public defender and a lobbyist for the public defender’s office. When the Legislature is out of session, he is a partner at a Las Vegas law firm. 

“Public service is sort of in my blood,” Yeager said. “I think there’s a pretty good possibility I'll find myself running for something else in the future.”

He previously told The Indy he was considering running for state treasurer in 2026, something he appears to have decided against.

“It’s just time to regroup a little bit,” Yeager said.

— Kate Reynolds, 2:25 p.m. on 11/24/2025

Nonprofit leader Jon Killoran to challenge Washoe Commissioner Mike Clark

Nonprofit leader Jon Killoran announced Tuesday that he is running for Washoe County Commission in District 2, setting up a Republican primary in the race next June against incumbent Mike Clark — who has raised concerns about election integrity and initially voted against certifying 2024 election results.

“It’s time to bring common sense and discipline back to the District 2 Commission seat,” Killoran said in his campaign announcement. 

Since 2008, Killoran has served as CEO of the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition, a nonprofit formed to lobby for bringing the Olympics to Northern Nevada but that has since expanded into a sports event management company. He is a former news and sports broadcaster.

Clark, a Reno real estate broker first elected in 2023, spent eight years as the Washoe County assessor, where he was responsible for appraising property values. 

— Kate Reynolds, 1:15 p.m. on 11/04/2025

Republican Adriana Guzmán Fralick announces bid for attorney general

Adriana Guzmán Fralick announced she is running for attorney general Wednesday, pledging to work with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo to “ensure Nevada never becomes a sanctuary state.”

Guzmán Fralick serves as the chair of the Cannabis Compliance Board; she was appointed by Lombardo. She has practiced law for more than 20 years and previously worked as general counsel for Republican former Gov. Jim Gibbons. 

“I will stand shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement to roll back dangerous, soft-on-crime policies passed by [Attorney General] Aaron Ford and his career politician friends,” Guzmán Fralick said in a press release Wednesday morning.

The day before her campaign announcement, Guzmán Fralick submitted a resignation letter to Lombardo’s office. She said that serving on the board was a privilege and she would resign after the board’s next scheduled meeting on Nov. 20.

“As I embark on a campaign for the office of Nevada Attorney General, I believe it would be inappropriate for me to continue serving in this role during the course of the election,” she wrote. “Therefore, I respectfully submit my resignation.”

Guzmán Fralick will likely square off against Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian in the June 2026 GOP primary for attorney general. The seat is open as Ford, who is termed out, launched a bid for governor in December. 

Democrats including Treasurer Zach Conine and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) are vying for the seat as well.

— Tabitha Mueller, 10/15/2025 at 9:03 a.m.

Family court judges Ritchie and Teuton won’t seek re-election

Two longtime Clark County Family Court judges will not seek re-election in 2026.

Judge Art Ritchie, who held his Department H seat for 27 years, and Judge Robert Teuton, who has been the Department D judge since 2010, confirmed to The Nevada Independent that they will not be on the ballot next year but plan to finish out their current terms.

There are 26 family court departments in Clark County, all of which will be on the 2026 ballot. Filing for judicial elections takes place from Jan. 5 to Jan. 16.

Ritchie was first appointed to his seat in 1999 by Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn. He had previously been a private practice attorney. 

Teuton had been a team chief in the criminal division of the Clark County District Attorney’s Office before serving as director of the Clark County Juvenile Court Services. He was appointed to his judicial post by Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons in 2010.

— Howard Stutz, 10/14/2025 at 10:16 a.m.

Blayne Osborn and Jason Patchett recommended to fill open Republican Assembly seats

Ahead of a likely special session this fall, Republican Assembly Caucus leader Greg Hafen (R-Pahrump) is recommending replacements for two vacated GOP seats.

For the opening in Assembly District 19, previously represented by Assm. Toby Yurek (R-Las Vegas), Hafen is recommending Jason Patchett, a deputy district attorney with the Clark County District Attorney’s office. Yurek resigned on Oct. 10 to take on a role helping Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo with his re-election campaign.

Hafen wrote that Patchett was instrumental in passing a law that increased penalties for fatal car accidents involving excessive speed after his son was killed by a speeding driver while walking home from school.

Blayne Osborn, president of the Rural Hospital Partners, is Hafen’s recommendation to fill the Assembly District 39 seat, which was represented by Assm. Ken Gray (R-Dayton). Gray, who resigned in July to take up an appointment as senior adviser to the National Cemetery Administration, defeated Osborn in the 2022 Republican primary for the seat.

“I believe both Patchett and Osborn would bring a wealth of knowledge regarding state politics, statutes and regulations and would be great assets to the caucus and Legislature,” said Hafen in the press release.

Under state law, county commissions who overlap with legislative districts fill the vacant seats. Newly appointed lawmakers must be of the same political party as their predecessor. 

— Tabitha Mueller, 10/10/25 at 11:48 a.m.

Toby Yurek resigns from Assembly to help Lombardo re-election campaign

Assm. Toby Yurek (R-Las Vegas) is resigning from the Assembly and won’t run for re-election, instead taking on a role helping Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo with his re-election fundraising. 

In a statement Friday, Lombardo said Yurek would become one of his special policy advisers and “serve as a member of our statewide finance committee.”

Spokesperson Eric Roberts later clarified that Yurek’s new finance role will be with Gov. Lombardo’s 2026 re-election campaign.

Yurek was first elected to his Southern Nevada Assembly seat in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024. Both general election races were uncontested. Assembly District 19, which leans Republican by registration, includes northeastern portions of Clark County, including Moapa, Mesquite and parts of Henderson.

Yurek spent 20 years as an officer with the Henderson Police Department before becoming a lawyer, receiving his Juris Doctor from UNLV. He is currently a managing partner at a Las Vegas-based law firm. 

The announcement makes Yurek the fourth Assembly Republican to resign or announce plans to run for a different office. Assm. Ken Gray (R-Dayton) resigned in August after being appointed to a position with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Assm. Philip “P.K.” O’Neill (R-Carson City) will retire from the Assembly when his term ends next November and Assm. Heidi Kasama (R-Las Vegas) is running for an open seat on the Clark County Commission.

Four Democratic state assemblymembers have announced they are not running for re-election. 

— Kate Reynolds, 10/3/25 at 12:05 p.m.

23 Assembly Democrats announce re-election bids

Twenty-three Democrats in the Nevada Assembly announced Thursday that they will run for re-election, leaving only four incumbents in the caucus who do not intend to run for their seats next year.

In the 2024 election cycle, 10 Democratic assemblymembers did not run for re-election.

The three highest-ranking members of the caucus are among those not seeking re-election: Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) and Speaker Pro Tempore Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas). Monroe-Moreno is running for mayor of North Las Vegas, while Yeager and Jauregui have not announced if they will seek another office.

The fourth to not run for re-election is freshman Assm. Joe Dalia (D-Henderson), who is eyeing the open treasurer position.

— Eric Neugeboren, 10/2/25 at 3:10 p.m.

City Councilmember Devon Reese announces Reno mayor bid

Devon Reese, a Reno city councilmember in his second full term, announced his bid for mayor of Reno Tuesday, adding another candidate to an increasingly crowded race to replace termed-out incumbent Hillary Schieve. 

Reese, a lawyer who specializes in representing labor unions, small government entities and families, has served on the council since 2019, first as an appointee and then as an elected representative of the at-large seat, and now as elected representative of Ward 5 after the at-large seat was eliminated during redistricting. His appointment made him the first openly gay member of Reno’s City Council, and a year later, he became Reno’s first openly gay vice mayor.

Reno council and mayor races are nonpartisan, meaning that candidates do not declare their political party, but Reese is registered and previously ran for office as a Democrat, according to the secretary of state’s website. 

His policy priorities include building a park along the river, expanding affordable housing and small business opportunities, increasing protections for drinking water and natural resources, and opening a police substation in each region of the city, according to his campaign website. 

Former Nevada Lt. Gov. Kate Marshall and Ward 1 Councilmember Kathleen Taylor are also running for mayor. Local businessman and frequent mayoral candidate Eddie Lorton has also tossed his hat in the ring. 

— Isabella Aldrete, 9/16/25 at 11 a.m.