In GOP primary for Nevada attorney general, newcomer challenges familiar face

Last month, a poll for Nevada's Republican primary for attorney general led to some social media mudslinging.

The internal poll from Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian's campaign found him with a sizable lead over his opponent, lawyer Adriana Guzmán Fralick, who's been endorsed by Gov. Joe Lombardo (R).

But she didn't seem alarmed.

"lol, well if this poll is true then I wonder why Danny called me today offering me a job to drop out of the race," she posted on X. "He said it was his last chance to win something 😂. Guess I hurt his feelings."

Tarkanian later told The Indy he asked Guzmán Fralick to drop out so they could work together in the attorney general's office, finishing with: "I've won multiple elections: six primaries and two general elections. Adriana, meanwhile, finished last in the only race she has run." (Editor's Note: she finished third out of five candidates in a 2012 bid for state board of education, not last).

It revealed the dynamics of a primary that so far has focused more on the candidates' backgrounds, electability and opinions on President Donald Trump than on specific policy positions.

As Nevada's chief legal officer, the attorney general plays a pivotal role in representing officials in court cases, joining multistate lawsuits on everything from mail ballot laws to social media safety and investigating areas such as consumer protection and Medicaid fraud. The person leads an office of about 400 people, can present bills and often goes on to run for higher office — three of the last nine attorneys general later became either governor or senator.

For the first time in eight years, Nevada's attorney general seat is open. Incumbent Aaron Ford (D) is termed out and running for governor, and two top state Democrats are vying to replace him: Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) and Treasurer Zach Conine.

The Republican race, in some ways, is a tale of two paths.

On one path is Tarkanian, who is making his 10th bid for office since 2004, losing seven of them despite winning several competitive GOP primaries. 

On the other is Guzmán Fralick, the relatively unknown lawyer who spent more than two years as Cannabis Compliance Board chair.

"I can win the general, and that's why I'm running," she said in an interview with The Nevada Independent. 

Tarkanian had another take.

"Adriana ran one time," he said. "Is that more impressive than me running and winning the Republican nomination for three congressional races, the state Senate race and secretary of state race?"

Who are they?

Born in Mexico, Guzmán Fralick moved to Nevada when she was 9. She grew up in Northern Nevada, attended UNR as an undergrad and got her law degree at UNLV. 

She has her own law firm and has served several positions in local and state government, including as counsel to former Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) and the Nevada Commission on Ethics  — where she provided guidance on legal and policy matters — and as chief deputy district attorney for Carson City. As chair of the Cannabis Compliance Board, she oversaw all aspects of the cannabis industry's licensing and operations.

The 57-year-old is bilingual and has two kids. Lombardo encouraged her to enter the race, she said.

Tarkanian, 64, is the son of longtime UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and former Las Vegas City Council Member Lois Tarkanian. He was born in California and moved to Nevada when he was 12.

He briefly worked at his own law firm before starting a real estate investment business. Since 2004, he has run in all but two election cycles. As a Douglas County commissioner halfway through his second term, Tarkanian said he has "taken on some really powerful special interest groups … to defend and fight on behalf of my constituents."

Both candidates are based in Northern Nevada — Guzmán Fralick in Reno and Tarkanian in Gardnerville. They have raised similar amounts of money in the first three months of 2026, but Tarkanian has a significant advantage in cash on hand.

Similar positions, different priorities?

Central to both candidates' campaigns is a pledge to investigate election fraud. While the public reports allegations of election law violations to the secretary of state's office, cases can be referred to the attorney general's office for prosecution. 

Since the 2022 election, the attorney general's office has received 26 cases for potential prosecution, including one man who was found to have voted in Arizona and Nevada. He avoided jail time as part of a plea deal.

Both candidates stopped short of saying there is widespread fraud in Nevada elections — there is no evidence to support it — but they said the attorney general's office has not done enough to assuage people's concerns over elections.

"I think my job can be something that can give assurances to the public that we are having elections that are free from fraud … by going out and being proactive in [investigating] it," Tarkanian said.

Guzmán Fralick, who said her trust in state election officials has wavered after her personal information was posted online, also pledged a more aggressive approach.

"They have been reactive and not proactive," she said.

Guzmán Fralick also supports the SAVE Act, the GOP-backed bill in Congress that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and eliminate mail-only registration. But she stopped short of backing Trump's recent executive order tasking the federal government with creating "state citizenship lists" of people who are eligible to vote.

"I would keep it with the state," she said.

Asked about suing the federal government — which has been a focal point of Ford's tenure — both candidates said they would do so if they believe the law has been violated.

"It doesn't matter who the president is," Guzmán Fralick said. "It comes back to looking at whether or not it's going to benefit Nevada."

The candidates also vowed to enforce federal immigration law, with both opposing so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions, which are places that limit cooperation with federal immigration officials. Ford has faced criticisms over his office's blueprint of how local governments should interact with federal immigration officials; lawmakers mandated that his office create it.

However, the candidates appear to have some different priorities.

Tarkanian's website is filled with messaging to "stop the radical left." He wants to limit transgender students' participation in school sports — something that Nevada schools already implemented — and go after diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

"All that does is cause animosity between people," he said.

Guzmán Fralick, on the other hand, is pushing for stricter sentencing laws, stopping the exploitation of children and aiding victims of domestic violence. She also has vowed to sue California over fuel supply regulations.

Still, there isn't much daylight between them on the issues.

Asked about her policy differences with Tarkanian, Guzmán Fralick did not list specific areas but rather took aim at her opponent.

"I'm not just running because that's what I've done my whole life," she said. "I think that Tarkanian may continue to use that office as a political tool and maybe as a stepping stone to some other political office."

The Trump effect

A central dispute so far in the race has centered on Trump.

Guzmán Fralick's campaign sent out a fundraising message accusing Tarkanian of saying "I hate Trump." It links back to a post he made on X in 2024, linking to an article with the headline "Opinion: I hate Trump, but I'm glad he won." The article was written by a person who dislikes Trump's personality but is more concerned with the behavior on the left.

Tarkanian — who was endorsed by Trump in his 2018 campaign bid and stood by the then-candidate after the release of the Access Hollywood tape in 2016, in which Trump bragged about sexual harassment — said the attack "was a complete lie."

"Why would my opponent lie like that?" he said. "I think the policies that he's had for our country have been great. I think they've made us much stronger, both the foreign and domestic."

Guzmán Fralick defended the campaign tactic.

"Our president is, as you know, extremely popular with our party, and I'm pointing out to them that, 'look, this is, this is my opponent,'" she said.  

She added that she supports Trump's policies.

"He campaigned on the promises that he's now keeping," she said. "It's a tough job, and he knows way more than I do. I can't imagine what he knows that we don't know. But as far as what he's done, I support him."