State Sen. Jeff Stone’s (R-Henderson) announcement in December that he wouldn’t seek re-election to a second term has touched off a competitive GOP primary in his open District 20 seat. 

So far, Assm. Danielle Gallant (R-Henderson) and former Republican Assm. Annie Black (R-Mesquite) are set to square off in June to represent the majority-Republican area that encompasses the tip of Southern Nevada, including the towns of Moapa, Mesquite and Boulder City. 

Stone has not commented on whether he will endorse either candidate. But in a wide-ranging interview with The Indy after the announcement, Stone reflected on his career in politics — with gigs ranging from the California Senate to a representative for the Department of Labor during President Donald Trump’s first term — as well as his future plans. 

He also shared his side of the story after being one of the lawmakers blamed in the death of Nevada’s proposed film tax credit expansion — a yearslong effort from major entertainment studios that would have allotted them up to $1.8 billion in annual transferable tax credits. Stone voted against the proposal despite rumors of his support. 

“It was giving a monopoly to these companies,” Stone told The Indy about the proposal. “We shouldn't be giving handouts to companies that are going to monopolize.”

Stone, who recently turned 70, said he doesn’t expect to run for office again. Instead, he plans to spend his time with his family, visiting his kids and grandkids in nearby California. He added the caveat that if a political opportunity arose that let him “live a somewhat retired life,” he would reconsider. 

“I think those days are over for me,” Stone said. 

Film tax

In the wake of November’s special session, five sources told The Indy that Stone had said he would support a revamped version of the film tax credit measure that died in the final hours of the prior legislative session. Two sources said the film tax credit was added to the special session after an assertion from Gov. Joe Lombardo’s staff that four Republicans would provide the decisive votes.

But Stone said that those were all rumors. Stone, who left Carson City for a prior commitment days before the session concluded and was not present for the film tax vote, said if he had been in the building or allowed to vote remotely, he would have been a “no.” 

“I never publicly said whether I support it or I don’t support it,” Stone said. “I said I was looking at the proposal.”

Stone said he had never seen lobbying efforts play out the way they did during the 2025 special session. He told The Indy that a lobbyist — he didn’t say who — was telling lawmakers they had secured his support for the film tax as a way to incentivize other people to vote in its favor. Laborers International Union of North America Local 87 — a major backer of the film tax credit bill — rescinded their endorsement for Stone after he pulled his support.

He also noted that both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, hesitant to support the bill, were told that an opponent would be recruited to run against them during the upcoming elections if they voted against it. 

“That's not really a kosher way to deal with legislators,” Stone said. “It’s actually illegal.”

But beyond his concerns with lobbying efforts, Stone told The Indy he thought the film tax credit proposal was too large of a financial commitment for the state, especially during an economically volatile period. In 2025, Las Vegas visitor volume notably decreased to levels not seen since 2021, during the thick of the pandemic.

Stone worried the state would be forced to implement new taxes if the law went through. Estimates from legislative fiscal staff during the special session concluded the state budget would have been in the red for at least the first two years of the film tax program, forcing the state to either raise revenue or cut services.

“I’m an anti-tax advocate,” Stone said, “but we got to be very careful in the state of Nevada that doesn’t have that income stream.”

Although he thought the film tax was a “totally unnecessary” addition to the agenda, Stone said he was happy the governor’s marquee crime bill passed out of the special session.

Political career

Stone spent about five years as a state senator in California before he moved to Nevada nearly a decade ago, exasperated with what he described as California's “business unfriendly” environment. 

In his interview with The Indy, Stone said he felt there were many political lessons the states could learn from one another. He prefers the part-time Legislature in Nevada compared with the year-round schedule in California, but said he had far less administrative support here. He only had one staffer versus the 10 staffers he would have serving in the Golden State. 

Stone also raised questions about the salary of Nevada legislators ($12,000 for each 120-day session), saying it creates barriers for potential talent. 

“You’re on your own,” Stone said. “You got to read all the bills yourself. You got to analyze all the bills yourself. In California, you had a lot of professional help.”

Despite those reservations, Stone described Nevada as a haven for business-minded people like himself, especially given the lack of a state income tax. Although his time in the Legislature was brief, he said he was proud to be a member of the minority party stopping “onerous regulations” and new taxes, and backing the Oakland Athletics’ relocation to Las Vegas.