Nevada Judicial Elections: A Closer Look at Upcoming Races
This November, Nevada voters are tasked with selecting judges for 31 percent of the state’s District Court seats. The remainder of the judgeships went unchallenged, with incumbents retaining their positions after the judicial candidate filing period concluded last Friday.
In total, 155 candidates have entered the fray for various judicial roles across Nevada, including two Nevada Supreme Court seats along with several justice of the peace and municipal court judgeships. Specifically, Clark County voters will make decisions for 20 out of 58 District Court seats, encompassing both civil/criminal and family judge roles.
As for Washoe County, voters will decide on three of the 16 District Court seats. One seat opened due to a judge’s retirement, while Judge Bridget Robb’s unexpected decision to vacate her Department 13 seat to challenge Judge Kathleen Sigurdson in Department 10 added another to the ballot.
In Clark County, two of the seven District Court seats saw last-minute candidacies when incumbents did not seek re-election, leaving the seats uncontested until the final day.
A notable repeat race will occur in the Clark County family court’s Department N, where Judge Kerri Maxey will once again face attorney Paul Michel Gaudet. Gaudet was appointed to the position by Governor Joe Lombardo in 2023. Maxey initially secured the term with 54 percent of the vote.
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In Nye County, the justice court race will draw significant attention as suspended Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore faces three challengers: attorney Michael Foley, and Pahrump residents Scott Oakley and Richard Hamilton.
Nevada law permits non-lawyers to serve as justices of the peace in counties with populations under 100,000, provided they adhere to the Code of Judicial Conduct to maintain impartiality.
The primary election is set for June 9, with the general election following on November 3. UNLV history professor Michael Green noted the tendency of midterm elections to reflect national political sentiment, potentially impacting local races like that of Fiore, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump after a 2024 conviction.
Green remarked, “Having several people in the race means you’re very likely to split the vote of the people who wouldn’t vote for her. Where she’s running, having the (Trump) pardon does not hurt her.”
Unopposed Supreme Court Justices
Nevada Supreme Court Justices Douglas Herndon and Kristina Pickering were re-elected unopposed for six-year terms, being the only justices on the ballot this year.
Clark County saw several District Court judges, including Mark Denton, Gloria Sturman, Ron Israel, and Erika Ballou, opt not to run again. This left positions like Ballou’s Department 24 seat, now uncontested with Colleen Brown, and Ritchie’s Department H seat, claimed by Emily McFarling.
Judge Mark Denton, notable for his long tenure, retired from Department 13 after 30 years, prompting a contest among Discovery Commissioner Adam Ganz, attorney Robert Kurth, and public defender Christopher Howell.
For Department 26, previously held by Sturman, candidates include prosecutor Pete Thunell, state bar counsel Daniel Hooge, and Justice of the Peace Jessica Goodey.
Judge Ron Israel’s Department 28 will see a race between Justice of the Peace Noreen DeMonte and attorney Danielle Tamu.
- Department 5: Judge Veronica Barisch vs. Tracy Hibbetts
- Department 8: Judge Jessica Peterson vs. Austin Beaumont
- Department 12: Judge Michelle Leavitt vs. Dan Gilliam
- Department 17: Judge Jennifer Schwartz vs. Jake Villani
- Department 21: Judge Tara Clark Newberry vs. Alex Hubert
- Department 23: Judge Jasmin Lilly-Spells vs. Martina Bauhaus
- Department 29: Judge Jacob Reynolds vs. Alexander Quagge
- Department 30: Judge Jerry Wiese vs. Josh Santeramo
- Department 31: Judge Joana Kishner vs. Alexandra McLeon
Family Court Developments
In Department D, prosecutor Gwynneth Smith will challenge family law attorney Patricia Marr.
For Department S, the candidates are hearing master Randall Forman, and attorneys Tanner Harris and Kristine Brewer.
Four other Clark County family judges are facing challengers:
- Department E: Judge Charles Hoskin vs. Timothy Treffinger
- Department P: Judge Mary Perry vs. Jennifer Isso and Kurt Smith
- Department R: Judge Bill Henderson vs. Nicholas Petsas and Marilyn Caston
- Department Z: Judge Michelle Mercer vs. Amber Candelaria
Washoe County voters will also decide on two additional races besides the Sigurdson-Robb contest. In Department 1, Justice of the Peace Derek Dreiling will compete against Probate Commissioner Edmund Gorman Jr. Meanwhile, Department 13 will see Reno family law attorneys Alexander Morey and Lance White vie for the seat.
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This article was adapted from content originally published by The Nevada Independent and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
