Outside money pours into Nevada attorney general race

In today's edition: An exclusive look at a new ad in the state's most contentious Democratic primary. Plus: One candidate envisions herself as Wonder Woman beating up on her opponents, drama plagues Nevada's young Republicans, and an answer about whether it's legal to send voters money in the mail.

Nearly 2 million mail ballots have been sent out, and thousands have been accepted. We're wrapping up our primary previews, campaign ads are rolling in, and early voting starts Saturday. Read on for everything you need to know as you make your decisions. 

In the meantime, please email us with any interesting political mailers you've received. We don't just want to know what the campaigns are telling US, but also what they're saying to YOU. 

This newsletter is published every week. We want to hear from you! Email your newsletter editor Mini Racker at [email protected]. 

👑Pageant material

In how many other professions can you say that watching the 2003 edition of Miss America is an entirely valid use of your workday?

It is for Mini Racker, whose excellent profile of then-pageant participant and current Congressional hopeful Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D) published this Sunday. (And it was an entirely valid use of my workday to make Mini find and hyperlink to Benitez-Thompson's banter with host Wayne Brady.)

The pageant, or "beauty queen" title, has followed Benitez-Thompson since she first entered office, but I feel confident in saying that Mini's profile is the first truly in-depth look at the longtime Northern Nevada lawmaker who is now looking to make history in flipping the historically red 2nd Congressional District.

Give it a read if you missed it this weekend, and stay tuned for more coverage of the state's most interesting Congressional race.

— Riley Snyder

---

1️⃣First in Indy Elections: New Cannizzaro ad

Featuring brief clips of the January shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, attorney general candidate Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) is taking a new statewide ad live today on TV and digital platforms, promising to "never back down" to President Donald Trump.

The ad highlights her work on a 2025 special session bill limiting the ability of federal immigration agents to access schools, with Cannizzaro pledging to "fight like hell" to protect voting rights.

No details on the amount of spending on the ad (yet), but spokespeople from the campaign say it's "big."

— Tabitha Mueller

---

What we're reading and writing

👀Who could replace the state Assembly's leader?

❓A guide to the positions on the ballot you're scratching your head about. 

One candidate says he returned to Nevada after a stalker threatened his family.

---

📺Indy Ad Watch: I hate Trump?

Ad spending on both sides of Nevada's open attorney general seat— which quietly has become the state's third most expensive — is heating up thanks to a bevy of ads in the Republican primary between Adriana Guzman Fralick and Danny Tarkanian. To recap:

At least two outside groups are backing Fralick: Nevada Frontline Victory Fund, an affiliate of a national group that previously announced plans to spend half a million supporting her campaign, and Save Nevada NOW, a state-level PAC run by Assm. Lisa Cole (R-Las Vegas). 

Though it didn't report any contributions on its April 15 campaign report (🚨SHADOW PAC ALERT🚨), it has spent nearly $200,000 on pre-primary ads, according to AdImpact. It's currently running a 30-second spot highlighting an anti-Trump tweet and Tarkanian's long (and mostly unsuccessful) history of running for public office (for more context, check out Eric Neugeboren's race preview).

The outside groups have evened the scales — Tarkanian's campaign has spent just over $230,000 on ads (including this recent negative spot against Fralick), per AdImpact, a total matched by the outside groups backing Fralick, who has only recorded about $44,000 in ad spending. 

In other ad-related news:

• Gov. Joe Lombardo's (R) campaign released a new ad ("Doers") on Wednesday. It doesn't mention him by name, but his likely Democratic opponent Attorney General Aaron Ford is shown along with well-known progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) as examples of "talkers."
• After we noted retired Lt. Col. David Flippo's (R) whopping NV-02 ad spending in last week's edition, former state Sen. James Settelmeyer (R-Minden) got in the media buying game, too. Per AdImpact, he has so far reserved $36,000 of time compared to Flippo's $377,000. His new ad ("Republican Support") highlights his family history ranching and his endorsements in the district. It also features a photo of him shaking hands with President Donald Trump. 
• On the other side of the aisle, wealthy investor Greg Kidd (D) is launching a TV spot called "Backbone," which highlights his efforts to take on Trump, big banks and Big Tech. It also highlights his support for Medicare for All, accompanied by video of him speaking to young people and traversing rural Nevada. It will air through the rest of the primary.
• Tensions in the County Commission District F race continue. Republican candidate Albert Mack is airing an ad ("Make It Worse") criticizing his primary opponent Assm. Heidi Kasama (R-Las Vegas) for her legislative voting record on the fuel revenue index bill, the film tax bill, and says she is "no conservative." 

— Riley Snyder, Mini Racker, Oona Milliken

---

👩Mini Series: Baby, I ain't Wonder Woman

💻Biometric Wonder Woman — Nevada law requires candidates to disclose their use of artificial intelligence (AI) in campaign material, a change that does not seem to have reached 4th Congressional District candidate Ronda Kennedy (R). 

• Kennedy posted a video on multiple social media platforms of herself as Wonder Woman, overlaid by a rap song that touts her achievements without disclosing that the videos are AI-generated. In the video, her AI alter ego beats up versions of primary opponent Cody Whipple (R) and Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV). Kennedy did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the video. 
• The law is hard to enforce as there are no financial penalties for violations. 

🥊 Charter? I hardly know her! — Nevada Young Republicans got into a public spat last week over endorsements in the 2nd Congressional District's GOP primary. The disagreement arose after the Washoe County Young Republicans voted to endorse Settelmeyer, despite the statewide group's vote in April — before the Washoe group was formed — to endorse Flippo, Settelmeyer's leading opponent. 

• Garrett Tamagni, a member of the Washoe group, alleged in an X post on Wednesday that the state organization denied the charter application of the recently formed Washoe group because it didn't endorse Flippo.
  • The chair of the Nevada State Young Republicans, Woodrow Johnston, told The Indy that Tamagni's statement was false and defamatory. Johnston said the statewide group did not approve the charter because the Washoe chapter had violated the group's bylaws and "hijacked" an organizational meeting by insisting on taking an endorsement vote that wasn't on the agenda. The Washoe group's members say the endorsement vote was originally on the agenda but was pulled without their permission after the statewide group realized Flippo didn't have their support.
• The dispute shows faultlines in the solidly Republican district where Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) is retiring. Flippo's opponents say he's a carpetbagger with little connection to Northern Nevada.
  • Tamagni wrote in his post that "an organization dominated by Las Vegas membership is now denying Northern Nevada Republicans representation."
• Members of the Washoe group say they were unfairly encouraged to support Flippo and that there was a conflict of interest since Johnston works for Flippo's campaign. The meeting where the Washoe chapter decided on its endorsement was held at Flippo's house in Reno. 

✊Culinary backs TBT — The politically powerful Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has endorsed Benitez-Thompson in the 2nd Congressional District (an earlier version of the union's endorsements did not mention that race).

🤑 What's your vote worth? — A state Senate candidate is testing a new campaign strategy: sending voters $1 bills. The move is eye-catching, but is it illegal? 

• Senate District 8 candidate George Harris (R) is running in a purple district where Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop (D-Las Vegas) won re-election twice and is attempting to do so again. Harris, an Army veteran who formerly served as chair of the Clark County Republican Party, is running against Laz Chavez, a former assistant sheriff endorsed by Gov. Joe Lombardo.
• Last week, Harris' campaign began mailing out $1 bills to voters, along with letters highlighting the rising cost of living: "Not that long ago, that dollar actually meant something. … Today? It barely gets you anything," he wrote. 
• It's illegal under federal and state law to offer money in exchange for votes. In the letter attached with the dollar bill, Harris emphasized that "this is not a bribe," writing that he sent the money to get attention.
• Two experts on campaign finance and elections law told The Indy they thought Harris' move was legal.
  • "The token amount in the mailer, combined with the symbolism the candidate ascribes to the dollar in writing his campaign mailer, makes it hard for me to imagine any court would judge this as an attempt to 'buy' votes," wrote University of Rochester political science professor David Primo. 

— Oona Milliken and Kate Reynolds

---

Looking Ahead

• Wednesday, May 20  — The Indy hosts our Democratic debate for attorney general
• Saturday, May 23  — Early voting in the primaries begins

---

A post that caught our eye: 

I would take a Nevada personality quiz.

We'll see you next week. 

Interested in more newsletters from The Nevada Independent? Find all of them here.