Debate between Democrats running for AG in Nevada devolves into mudslinging

A debate meant to be a discussion of substantive policy issues with the two Democrats running for Nevada attorney general devolved into personal attacks as each candidate claimed their opponent lacked integrity. 

The Wednesday evening debate hosted by The Nevada Independent was geared at highlighting policy contrasts between Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) and state Treasurer Zach Conine (D), who are trying to fill a seat left open because term-limited Democrat Aaron Ford is running for governor. 

But they made their disdain for one another clear throughout the hourlong event, which was moderated by Indy CEO Jon Ralston and Capital Bureau Chief Tabitha Mueller. The two candidates spent most of it lobbing bombs, though they did find moments to tout their own accomplishments in public office. 

Conine said efforts by his office helped "put mechanics in place to return hundreds of millions of dollars" in unclaimed property to Nevada residents. Cannizzaro cited multiple pieces of legislation she helped pass, including protections against immigration enforcement in schools and a cap on the number of times rent could be raised. 

The heated conversation was a reminder of the personal animosity between two of Nevada's most powerful Democrats, whose relationship has grown frosty even though they praised each other in the past. The race is this cycle's most expensive primary, with no clear front-runner. 

At one point, Cannizzaro asked, "If my integrity has been such an issue for so long, where has Zach been?"

Both candidates accused the other of being aligned with Republican powerbrokers and causes and of being inadequately prepared for the demands of the attorney general role.

READ MORE: Nevada Democratic attorney general primary is a battle over rich donors and résumés

Tensions came to a head when the candidates were asked if they thought their opponent was swayed by donations from the rich and powerful. 

Conine's received millions in campaign contributions from wealthy attorney and business tycoon Jeffrey Berns, who previously unsuccessfully pushed for a self-governing, new city in Nevada run on blockchain technology, while Cannizzaro has previously received nearly more than $140,000 from payday lending companies and gotten donations from opponents of a ban on puppy mills that came through the Legislature.

Cannizzaro said Conine's integrity was "absolutely" compromised by Berns. 

Conine was even harsher in his criticism, saying, "her integrity was compromised well before" she took money from payday lenders. 

There was some agreement. Both made it clear that if elected, they would fight Trump's immigration policies and his efforts to "nationalize" state-run elections. Both said they oppose the death penalty, want to repeal Nevada's unique summary eviction law and are planning to vote "no" on this fall's voter ID ballot initiative. 

They also found ways to criticize one another even when discussing policy.

Conine accused Cannizzaro of blocking his legislative priorities and choosing "lobbyist friends" and "aesthetic" upgrades to the state's Legislative Building over Nevadans' best interests. Cannizzaro said Conine's criticisms of her legislative record bordered on offensive and showed he didn't "fundamentally understand what happens in the Legislative Building." 

One key disagreement was who was better suited to become the state's top law enforcement officer, a complex role responsible for providing legal advice to state agencies, overseeing a staff of about 400 and joining or filing lawsuits on behalf of the state. 

Cannizaro touted her nearly decade of experience as a prosecutor in Clark County and as leader of the state Senate, arguing that attorneys general must be effective prosecutors.

"If you have never had to put evidence together, put a case together, walk into a courtroom, and fight, then it is very difficult to make that sort of decision," she said.

Conine countered that he had legal experience, too — he founded his own law firm after passing the bar in 2015 and before becoming treasurer in 2018 — but said the attorney general's role was more about crisis management than prosecuting cases. As treasurer and head of a 63-person office, he said he's excelled at overseeing people and has in-depth knowledge of the state's agencies. 

The Legislature "is a different job than the executive branch," Conine said. "When we have a problem, we don't get to turn to a whole bunch of staff and have them figure it out. We have to roll up our sleeves."

Each candidate accused the other of selling out to big-dollar donors. Groups on both sides of the race have launched negative websites attacking their opponent's donations.

Cannizzaro lambasted Conine for taking more than $2 million from Berns, the founder of a company, Blockchains, whose technology is used for cryptocurrency transactions. 

She said cryptocurrency was a Republican-coded policy issue and criticized Conine's attendance at an "America Loves Crypto" rally in 2024. Conine has previously defended the donations by pointing to Berns' past work as an attorney suing JPMorgan for misleading mortgage rates. Berns donated $5,000 to Cannizzaro in 2020.

Conine asserted Cannizzaro couldn't be trusted because she's taken money from special interests such as payday lenders and NV Energy — the latter of which has donated thousands to Conine in the past but has given three times as much money, nearly $100,000, to Cannizzaro. 

Conine also criticized Cannizzaro's legal background, citing her representation in the early 2010s of a bank that contributed to thousands of foreclosures in Nevada and was owned by Steve Mnuchin, who later became Trump's treasury secretary. 

"This is about judgment," Conine said. "This is about whether or not you would take and put your name on a case for someone who is trying to do that sort of work."

Cannizzaro defended herself, saying she worked there less than a year and didn't have full control over her cases. 

This story was updated at 11:56 a.m. on 5/21/2026 to correct the amount of money Cannizzaro has received over her career from payday lending companies.