Editor's Note: This is one in a series of "On the Record" pieces highlighting the policy stances of candidates running for major offices in the 2022 Nevada election. Check back in the coming days. 

Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead said her role is much bigger than the official position description, saying it's about “paving the path” for future generations, having representation of different life experiences at the table, and a voice to speak up for Nevada’s families. 

“It's about this opportunity that I've been given to pave the path for others who will come after me. It's about opening those doors,” Cano Burkhead told The Nevada Independent. “I will continue to work to remove barriers for all Nevada families because I know firsthand what it’s like to have parents who truly worked hard every single day of their lives — sometimes two, three jobs — just to make ends meet and just to make sure that we had food on the table and a roof over our head.” 

Cano Burkhead was appointed by Gov. Steve Sisolak in December 2021 to replace Kate Marshall, who resigned from the role to take a job in the Biden administration. She quickly announced plans to run for a full term and, after winning the Democratic primary in June, she is facing Republican candidate Stavros Anthony, a Las Vegas City Council member, in the November election. 

The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession to the office of governor in case of the governor’s death or permanent incapacitation. As lieutenant governor, Cano Burkhead serves on the governor’s cabinet and is chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism. She’s also president of the state Senate, a largely symbolic role that involves presiding over daily proceedings and, in rare cases, casting a tie-breaking vote.

The lieutenant governor is limited to two terms, is elected separately from the governor and can be from a different political party. 

Cano Burkhead has a long history in Clark County schools, having worked in the classroom and as a principal and administrator. Although she retired from the Clark County School District earlier in 2021, Cano Burkhead has continued to be involved in education, including spending a day as a substitute teacher in Clark and Washoe County schools struggling with staffing issues.

If Cano Burkhead wins the election and retains her seat, she said she plans to continue the work she has been doing for the past 10 months, including helping small business, working on  efforts to diversify the economy and advocating for communities and preK-12 teachers and students. 

“I'm not waiting to be retained in the seat,” Cano Burkhead said. “If you look on paper, the role of lieutenant governor is a part-time position. There's nothing part-time about me … I think that in order to move the work forward, you have to be full-time committed.” 

Below is a summary of Cano Burkhead’s interview with The Nevada Independent.

Economic diversity 

As lieutenant governor, Cano Burkhead also serves on the Nevada Commission on Tourism, the Keep Nevada Working Task Force and the Governor's Office of Economic Development board, in which she often talks with state residents and businesses about growth, the workforce and diversifying the economy to make sure “we're all rowing in the same direction.”

In March, Cano Burkhead announced the launch of the Office of Small Business Advocacy, which was created by AB184, passed in the 2021 legislative session. The new office is designed to work as a one-stop-shop of resources available for small businesses. 

She said economic development and the education system go hand in hand, as oftentimes people and businesses look at schools when deciding where to relocate. Another piece of the puzzle, she said, is ensuring children in the state are prepared to eventually enter the workforce.

“Because before people move to our state, they're looking to see ‘Is this the state that I want to move to? Do I want to move my family here? How is the educational system?’” Cano Burkhead said. 

She said she aims for long-term changes that could diversify the economy and provide high-paying jobs — which she said could help Nevadans withstand the effects of inflation and recession, and afford housing and health care.

“It's a lot of work that we've already been doing, and there's more work to be done,” she said

In next year’s legislative session, Cano Burkhead — who will be state Senate president if elected — said one of her priorities is streamlining the state’s “cumbersome” licensing processes for small business owners, which may require several steps.

Education

Cano Burkhead said “every option has to be on the table,” and she would like to see what the plan is regarding the initiative to break up the Clark County School District, allowing cities and municipalities to form smaller “community-based” school districts. 

“Kids deserve that every option is looked at. And I wouldn't want to necessarily comment on that without seeing what that plan is. Because there are a lot of complications in the end,” she said. 

As an educator and former principal, she said “there's a lot of different factors that impact education,” but listening to educators and implementing recruiting and retaining incentives can go a long way to show teachers they are appreciated. Refining the teacher pipeline and having mentoring and coaching throughout a teacher’s career can also help improve the education system and reduce teacher vacancies, she said. 

More broadly, she said her background in education and as a leader in schools has helped her approach her new job as lieutenant governor — with a focus on problem-solving and pushing forward.

“Not only did I lead schools, I transformed schools. And I've demonstrated over the course of my career, the ability to move work forward,” she said. “I've done that in this role already. And I will continue to do that as I move forward … My intentions are to leave it better than I found it.”

Foreseeable future

In the case that Cano Burkhead, a Democrat, is elected to retain her seat and Republican candidate Sheriff Joe Lombardo is elected as governor, she said she would remain focused and continue the work she has been doing the last 10 months. 

“You have to be respectful and you have to be able to voice your opinion and work together for the good of Nevadans,” she said. “When it comes to education, you really have to work collectively on behalf of the goals and of students — and in this case, it would be on behalf of our state and on behalf of all Nevadans.”