UPDATE: 5 p.m. March 11, 2026
The battle for the Democratic primary for governor was joined on Wednesday, as Washoe County Commission Chairwoman Alexis Hill filed her papers to run for governor.
Miller has mounted a populist campaign, targeting especially government subsidies to companies including Tesla and sports teams.
Her campaign says she's eager to debate the presumptive front-runner in the race, Attorney General Aaron Ford. Last week, Hill released an extensive economic development plan that outlined her priorities as governor.
Also filing on Wednesday was former Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez Thompson, D-Washoe County, for the 2nd Congressional District. The seat is open after incumbent Republican Mark Amodei decided to retire.
It will be a long-shot for a Democrat to win in the district, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 73,000 active voters. Former state lawmaker James Settelmeyer is the GOP front-runner, but speculation that Reno personal injury lawyer Joey Gilbert will enter the race remains.
Benitez Thompson has worked as chief of staff to Ford in the attorney general's office since leaving the Assembly in 2022.
And former Republican Party official George Harris officially entered the race for state Senate District 8, where he's challenging Democratic incumbent Marilyn Dondero Loop.
UPDATE: 12:30 p.m. March 11, 2026
Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, D-Clark County, made it official Tuesday, filing to challenge incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony for the state's No. 2 spot.
Jauregui is giving up her Assembly seat, even though she's eligible to run for a sixth and final term. A survivor of the Oct. 1, 2017 Route 91 Harvest music festival, Jauregui has authored a number of gun-control bills in the Legislature, and was the driving force behind the unsuccessful film tax credit bill that failed in the 2025 Legislature and a special session in November.
The outcome of the race has implications beyond the typical duties of the office, which including presiding over sessions of the state Senate and promoting Nevada tourism. If Jauregui were to be elected, it might give Gov. Joe Lombardo pause if he's tempted to seek the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto in 2028, since if he left office before his term is up, he'd leave a Democrat in charge.
UPDATE: 5 p.m. March 10, 2026
Democratic members of Congress Susie Lee and Steven Horsford officially filed for re-election on Tuesday. If re-elected, it will be Horsford's sixth term and Lee's fifth.
Both candidates have attracted challengers, both within their party and from the GOP.
Horsford's district has nearly 30,000 more Democrats than Republicans, while Lee's is much closer: Just more than 15,000 voters separate Democrats from the GOP.
Despite that close registration, Lee has managed to turn away all challengers during her tenure.
Also filing on Tuesday was former Republican state Sen. Becky Harris, who is running as a nonpartisan in Clark County Commission District F.
Harris, the first woman to head the Nevada Gaming Control Board, is running in the district with the most registered nonpartisans in the county. Already, a crowded field of Democrats and Republicans are vying to replace incumbent Commissioner Justin Jones.
As a nonpartisan, Harris has no primary; she will go directly to the Nov. 3 general election.
UPDATE: 6:30 p.m., March 9, 2026
Nevada state Treasurer Zach Conine filed in the Democratic race for attorney general on Monday, setting up the biggest Democratic primary battle on the ballot.
Conine has helmed the state treasurer's office for the last eight years, and is term-limited, like the man he's seeking to replace, Aaron Ford, who is running for governor.
But Conine will face perhaps the toughest primary race on the ballot as he faces off with state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Clark County, a former prosecutor.
On Monday, Conine touted his executive branch experience.
"We think it is an incredibly important opportunity for Nevada Democrats to make their voice heard about what they want in the attorney general's office," Conine said. "Do they want experience in the executive branch, do they want the ability to come in and solve problems and deal with crises or don't they?"
Cannizzaro has touted her experience prosecuting criminals in Clark County as well as practicing civil law, as well as leading Senate Democrats since 2019.
But Conine listed his own resume in the treasurer's office as proof he could handle the duties.
"I've been a lawyer [since 2015], and as a lawyer what we've done is solve problems," he said. "We got into the treasury, we had a 20% vacancy rate, and we only made about $20 million a year. Now we have a 2% vacancy rate and we make over $400 million a year. That's not just because I'm good at math; it's because I'm an exceptional leader of people."
Also filing on Monday was Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, seeking a second and final term overseeing business registrations and Nevada elections. He's the only statewide Democrat seeking re-election.
And the field of candidates running for the Clark County Commission District F seat grew as well, after Minjia Yan filed as a Democrat. There are now five Democrats and two Republicans vying for the chance to replace outgoing Commissioner Justin Jones.
Becky Harris, a former Republican state senator, is expected to file for the seat as a nonpartisan.
And state Sen. Edgar Flores, D-Clark County — who pled guilty to a first-offense DUI that will later be reduced to careless driving if he completes court-ordered programs — filed for re-election to his state Senate District 2 seat. Blood tests showed he was above the legal limit after police officers found him asleep in his car at an intersection.
North Las Vegas Councilman Issac Barron, who is also an appointed school board member, announced last month he plans to challenge Flores for the seat.
UPDATE: 5:30 p.m. March 6, 2026
Former Republican state lawmaker James Settelmeyer has filed to run in the 2nd Congressional District in Northern Nevada, instantly becoming the front-runner for the seat.
Settelmeyer, who served in the Assembly from 2006-2010, and in the state Senate from 2010 to 2022, took a job in Gov. Joe Lombardo's administration, as director of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
He filed for the seat left open by the retirement of Rep. Mark Amodei, but only after several other Republican candidates took a pass on the race, including state Sen. Ira Hansen, Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian, former Attorney General Adam Laxalt, former U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown and Nevada state Controller Andy Matthews.
Former Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson is also mulling a bid in the Republican district, which covers the entire top half of the state.
Also filing on Friday were Richard "Tick" Segerblom, in Clark County Commission District E. If elected, the former Assembly member and state senator would be in his third and final term.
And former Assemblyman and state Sen. Mo Denis filed to serve on the Board of Regents in District 5, the seat held by incumbent Regent Patrick Boylan, who has courted controversy with comments about transgender athletes.
Kathleen Cavalaro and Ashley Garcia are also vying for the District 5 seat.
UPDATE: 5 p.m. March 5, 2026
Gov. Joe Lombardo officially filed for re-election to a second term on Thursday, joining a cheering crowd of supporters at a state office building.
Lombardo touted the accomplishments of his first term, including investing in education, putting nearly $200 million toward attainable housing and enacting public safety reforms.
"We've seen meaningful progress, but too many people are still struggling. That's why I'm running for re-election," he said.
Lombardo said housing would be a focus in his second term: "Housing costs too muich. I'm fully aware of that," he said. He reminded the crowd that rents in Las Vegas have fallen, and that the Legislature approved a bill to put $183 million toward attainable housing in the 2025 session.
He said Nevada schools have improved, and the success was not just the results of how student progress has been measured, citing higher graduation rates. He touted a $2 billion increase in school funding under his tenure.
And, with the passage of a crime bill in the special session in November, Lombardo declared: "Nevada is safer today than it was four years ago."
"I'm not here for my ego, by no means, or the next step in a political career," he said. "I'm not here to be a culture warrior or an ideologue. I'm here to improve lives and make Nevada a better place to live, work and raise a family, or start a business."
Democrats were unimpressed by the Lombardo record.
"“Under Joe Lombardo’s failed leadership in Nevada, costs are up, tourism is plummeting, unemployment is among the highest in the nation, and small businesses are struggling to get by," reads a statement from Johanna Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Governors Association.
“There’s a reason why Joe Lombardo is the most vulnerable Republican governor in the country – and the DGA is looking forward to making him a one-term governor,” Warshaw's statement adds.
Attorney General Aaron Ford — running for the Democratic nomination for governor — also criticized Lombardo in a statement.
“Joe Lombardo is asking Nevadans for a second term as the state barrels down an affordability crisis. On Lombardo’s watch, Wall Street investors are the largest homeowners in Nevada," Ford said. "Nevada has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Grocery costs are at record highs. And our schools remain among the most underfunded and overcrowded in America."
Ford is expected to face Washoe County Commission Chairwoman Alexis Hill in the Democratic primary.
Also filing on Thursday was state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, who is running for the Democratic nomination for attorney general.
Cannizzaro, accompanied by her husband, supporters and three young children, touted her record as a former Clark County prosecutor. A Las Vegas native, she attended public schools here and the University of Nevada, Reno, before graduating from the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV.
She said she wants to make public safety her top priority if she's elected.
"And so I hope that as Nevada's next attorney general, the one thing that I'll be able to do throughout my time in that job is protect Nevadans and continue to try to make this the kind of place where everyone wants to be," she said. "The job of attorney general has been to keep Nevadans safe and to help them have a place where they can live, work, raise a family. To me that opportunity has been everything."
Cannizzaro is expected to face a primary challenge from state Treasurer Zach Conine. Republicans will also face a primary: On Thursday, Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian filed for the office, joining Adriana Guzman Fralick in the race for the GOP primary.
Meanwhile, state Controller Andy Matthews filed for re-election to a second term. Matthews was considered a candidate for the newly open 2nd Congressional District seat, given up by the retiring Rep. Mark Amodei, but decided on re-election instead.
And in Clark County Commission District E, Marco Hernandez filed again to challenge incumbent Tick Segerblom. Hernandez ran a close race as a Democrat in the 2018 primary against Segerblom, ran without a political party in 2022 and is once again running as a Democrat this year. If elected, this will be Segerblom's third and final term on the commission.
Also in District E, perennial candidate Eddie "EeeTee" Hamilton filed as a Republican.
UPDATE: 5:45 p.m. March 4, 2026
Sheriff Kevin McMahill filed papers Wednesday for a second term atop the Metropolitan Police Department. McMahill announced his re-election bid in a splashy event at the Worre Studios in October.
The race to replace Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager got its second Republican, setting up a GOP primary in June. Erica Neely joined the race in Assembly District 9, and will face off with Cristhian Orozco. The winner will face Democrat Ryan Hampton, who is thus far unopposed for his party's nomination.
And its a crowded field in Assembly District 41, the seat vacated by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, D-Clark County, who is running for lieutenant governor. On Wednesday, Republican Kelly Chapman and Democrat Gabriela Wyett joined the race, ensuring a contested primary for both parties in June.
UPDATE: 2:30 p.m. March 4, 2026
Two high-profile candidates who were discussed as possible successors to retiring Rep. Mark Amodei in the Second Congressional District have announced they will not be seeking the seat.
Former U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown said on X he was passing on the race to remain in Washington, D.C., where he currently serves as undersecretary of defense for memorial affairs.
Brown lost a race in 2024 to incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen.
Similarly, state Controller Andy Matthews posted on X that he will seek re-election to a second term in his current job, and not try for the 2nd District seat.
But one candidate who did say he'll seek the seat is David Flippo, who was planning a bid for the 4th Congressional District against Democratic incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford.
Flippo ran for the 4th District in 2024, but lost to ex-North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee in the primary.
Other candidates rumored to be interested in the post include former state Sen. James Settelmeyer and Reno attorney Joey Gilbert, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022. Former Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson, a Democrat who currently serves as chief of staff to Attorney General Aaron Ford, has said she will run as well.
UPDATE: 5:30 p.m. March 3, 2026
Dr. Jeffrey Ross Gunter filed to challenge Rep. Susie Lee in the Third Congressional District on Tuesday, the second day of filing for federal, state and local offices in Nevada.
Gunter, who served as President Donald Trump's ambassador to Iceland in Trump's first term, ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate against Jacky Rosen in 2024.
Republican Tera Anderson is also in the race for CD-3.
In the race for attorney general, Republican Adriana Guzman Fralick filed to replace term-limited Aaron Ford, who is running for governor.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo drew two more Republican primary opponents, Barak Zilberberg and Donald Beaudry Jr. Zilberberg also ran in the GOP primary for governor in 2022.
Republicans Fred Simon filed to fill the now-open Congressional District 2 seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Mark Amodei. Meanwhile, in Congressional District 4, Republican Cody Whipple filed to challenge incumbent Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford.
The seats of two Assembly leaders — Speaker Steve Yeager and Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui — drew hopefuls on Tuesday.
Ryan Hampton, a Democrat, and Cristhian Orozco, a Republican, filed to replace Yeager in Assembly District 9, while two Democrats — Spencer Ridenour and Vinny Spotleson, filed in Assembly District 41, Jauregui's old seat. Republican Tofuola "Tofu" Alofipo also filed for that seat.
Democrat Minddie Lloyd filed to join the candidates looking to replace Justin Jones in Clark County Commission District F.
And Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson, first appointed by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval in 2017, filed for his third and final term on the commission.
CORRECTION: Lloyd did file an annual contribution report with the state, using the name Marikha Minddie Lloyd. It shows she raised $109,691 in 2025, had nearly $32,000 cash on hand. That fact was incorrect in an earlier update.
First day of filing
There were cheers, chants, American flags and oh so many photos.
Spring in an even-numbered year means only one thing in Nevada: the start of the political season that will last until about a week after the Nov. 3 election.
Monday's first day of filing saw scores of people become candidates, from longtime incumbents to brand new challengers. They filed at City Halls, the Secretary of State's offices, and with county registrars across Nevada.
Steve Sebelius hears from candidates about how they hope to make a difference for Nevadans, if elected:
Offices from Congress to governor, state Legislature to local government are up for grabs. (There is no presidential or U.S. Senate contest in Nevada this year.)
At the Clark County Government Center, candidates waited in line for an open desk in the filing center, paying their fees and signing paperwork to put their names on the ballot.
Among them: District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who has won three elections but has served for 14 years after being appointed to the job back in 2012. (There are no term limits for county offices such as sheriff or district attorney.)
Asked if he'd ever tire of the job, Wolfson said he's still got things left to do.
"I don't know yet. I still want to contribute," he said. "There's some unchecked work that still needs to be completed, so I'm looking forward — if the citizens of this county still have the confidence in me to re-elect me again — to work on some current initiatives and some future initiatives."
Wolfson said public safety would be his top priority in his next term.
"I'm very pleased to say that crime is down in Clark County, thanks to all the law-enforcement partners," he said. "I think that there's a tendency to think that crime is on the rise or that crime is out of control. That's not the case, because crime is down. I think that people generally feel pretty safe."
The Republican and Democratic Assembly caucuses turned out most of their members for first-day photos and filing. That included Assemblywoman Shea Backus, a Democrat who represents Las Vegas.
Backus — who was first elected in 2018, defeated for re-election in 2020 but came back to win in 2022 and 2024 — says she keeps running because of the impact that she has on people's lives.
She said she met an ex-felon on the campaign trail whose voting rights had been restored because of a bill she worked on in the Assembly.
"And even though the gentleman wasn't going to vote for the same person I was going to vote for for president, I realized my vote and the support of a bill that I did on the floor made a difference in someone's life," Backus recalled. "And that really just made a huge difference, and I was like, 'I'm going to do this again.' It's amazing to have this opportunity to serve the public."
But Backus represents Assembly District 37, a swing district, albeit one that's become safer after the 2021 redistricting. This time around, she'll face at least one opponent, Jill Douglass, the new chairwoman of the Clark County Republican Party.
The two women — who've known each other for years — shared a hug outside the filing room, even as they prepared to run against each other.
Douglass said being a candidate and being a party chair increases her investment in the process.
"Actually, I think it even gives me more ownership to make sure that the processes are taking place, that the voter registration is taking place, that the precinct level operation is working," she said. "I'm more invested than ever."
Douglass said her top priority would be to enact school choice legislation if elected, while Backus said she was focused "on making life a little easier for Nevadans," especially addressing the costs of housing, insurance and other goods.
Assemblyman Greg Hafen II, R-Nye County, who filed his papers at the Secretary of State's office but later joined caucus members at the government center, said that despite being in the minority in the Assembly, he's learned to pass bipartisan bills.
"The process has gotten better," he said. "We've learned to move the process, to move things to the floor, and really work, try to figure out how to work across the aisle," he said.
Hafen credited Gov. Joe Lombardo for forcing more bipartisan compromise. Lombardo has set the all-time record for the number of vetoes issued by a Nevada governor.
Hafen said if he could accomplish only one thing, it would be to ensure that all ballots are in and counted by Election Day. Currently, mail ballots postmarked on Election Day can be received up to four days later and still counted, which means final unofficial results aren't known until about a week after Election Day.
But if the mail ballot deadline was moved up, those ballots could be counted and results released on Election Day, or at least by the following morning, he said.
(Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar has said the vast majority of votes are in and most are counted on Election Day, although late-arriving ballots have been known to change the outcome of some races.)
Assemblywoman Melissa Hardy, R-Clark County, ran unopposed in 2024, but drew an opponent this year. She said she keeps returning to Carson City because she can make a difference.
"I think I just come to the conclusion for myself that we need good people there. I feel I've been able to pass some really good legislation, in my time there, good bipartisan legislation," she said. "I think we need people that have experience in the Legislature, because especially in the Assembly, seats turn over a lot and you lose the institutional knowledge."
In other filings on Monday:
- Two people filed to challenge Aguilar as secretary of state, including former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, a Republican from Reno. Angle famously lost a race for U.S. Senate against the late Harry Reid in 2010. Angle was joined in the race by Keenan Socorro, also a Republican.
- Two Republicans and two Democrats filed to represent Clark County Commission District F, replacing Justin Jones, who decided not to seek re-election. Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, R-Clark County and businessman Albert Mack are seeking the Republican nomination, while Lenna Hovanessian and Sebastian Crawford signed up under the Democratic banner.
- Five people filed to challenge incumbent Rep. Dina Titus in Congressional District 1: Republicans Jim Blockey, Marie Arnold and state Sen. Carrie Buck, R-Clark County. Democrat Gabriel Cornejo and Bobby Khan, who listed no political party, also filed.
- Three Republicans filed in the Republican primary for governor against incumbent Joe Lombardo: Matthew Winterhawk, Jose Zelaya and Irina Hansen.
- On the Democratic side, Attorney General Aaron Ford's campaign said he'd filed his paperwork to challenge Lombardo. Ford is expected to face a challenge from Washoe County Commission Chairwoman Alexis Hill.
