The Nevada Independent

Your state. Your news. Your voice.

Nevada 2020 election season begins with judicial candidate filing period

Front view of the Nevada State Court building
The Nevada State Supreme Court building in Carson City as seen on Monday, Aug 14, 2017. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)

Multiple judicial candidates filed to run in the 2020 election cycle on Monday, the first day of Nevada’s 10-day filing period, including the current chief justice of the Supreme Court who is seeking re-election.

The judicial filing period began Jan. 6 and concludes on Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. During this period, all candidates seeking to run in the state and district elections for Nevada’s supreme and lower courts must submit their declaration of candidacy to either their city or county clerk or directly to the secretary of state’s office.

There were a total of 189 judges statewide in Nevada in fiscal year 2019, but not all of these positions will be up for re-election in the coming cycle. 

This year, two of the seven Supreme Court seats in Nevada are up for nonpartisan election — those of Justice Mark Gibbons and Chief Justice Kris Pickering. Gibbons, who served as chief justice in 2008, 2014 and 2019, has announced that he will be retiring from the bench and will not seek re-election this year. 

Pickering took over the chief justice position from Gibbons beginning Monday. She previously held the position in 2013. 

Pickering is among the judges who have already filed as candidates. 

Judge Douglas Herndon, who currently serves on the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, and Assemblyman Ozzie Fumo, who currently represents Nevada State Assembly District 21, have also filed as a Supreme Court candidates, for the seat Gibbons will leave vacant at the end of this term.

This period is the first of several important dates for those seeking election this year in Nevada  leading up to the primary on June 9 and general election on Nov. 3. The filing period for non-judicial candidates will take place from March 2-13. 

The Nevada Independent is a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization. We are committed to transparency and disclose all our donors. The following people or entities mentioned in this article are financial supporters of our work:
  • Kristina Pickering - $1,132

Kristyn Leonard

Kristyn Leonard was the Audience Engagement Manager at The Nevada Independent until 2024.
SHARE