Executive
summaries.

David Flippo is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and small-business owner who switched into this open-seat race in early 2026 after Sam Brown declined to run, and after briefly campaigning in Nevada's 4th District. He earned President Trump's endorsement in the general election and by the end of the first quarter had loaned his own campaign roughly $1.2 million. On Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey and in his iVoterGuide questionnaire, Flippo describes himself as "a Christian, husband, grandfather, conservative, combat veteran, small business owner, and financial advisor," and states his campaign supports "limited government, strong national defense, secure borders, election integrity, religious liberty, and pro-growth policies that put American citizens first, while promoting a moral society grounded in faith, family, and personal responsibility." iVoterGuide rates him "Conservative," its top tier. He holds that human life deserves protection from conception to natural death, opposes taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, supports enforcing the Comstock Act, and states law-abiding citizens should face no additional firearms restrictions. Turning Point Action's endorsement specifically cites him as "a devoted Christian." He has no prior elected office and therefore no voting record.

How Flippo measures up

States his campaign is part of a movement to "restore biblical values and constitutional principles," holds a top-tier "Conservative" rating from a national Christian voter guide, supports legal protection for life from conception onward, opposes taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, backs near-unrestricted gun rights, and names religious liberty a top priority. Has no prior voting record to verify these positions against.

Joe Lombardo, the incumbent governor and former Clark County sheriff, is backing a 2026 ballot initiative that would require school sports to be categorized as male, female, or coeducational — effectively a birth-sex-based standard for girls' sports. He has pushed to more than double Opportunity Scholarship (school-choice) funding, targeting $500 million annually by FY2032, and opted Nevada into the federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program. In 2022 he held a campaign event at Liberty Baptist Church in Las Vegas, whose founding pastor has called homosexuality "a demoralizing, degrading, filthy, horrible sin," and separately appeared at a closed-door prayer breakfast with roughly 80 ministers alongside Christian-nationalist historian David Barton. Yet his record is not uniform: he signed SB131 codifying Nevada's existing abortion protections into law despite describing himself as personally pro-life, and while he vetoed a 2025 bill creating legal protections for clinicians providing gender-affirming care, he separately signed a 2023 law barring insurers from gender-based discrimination and setting transgender-inmate care standards. iVoterGuide rates him "Leans Conservative" — its second tier, not the top rating given to several other candidates in this guide.

How Lombardo measures up

Pushing a ballot measure to keep girls' sports limited to biological females and has expanded school-choice funding substantially. But signed a bill codifying Nevada's existing abortion law despite calling himself personally pro-life, and has signed some LGBTQ-related protections into law alongside vetoing others. A national Christian voter guide rates him "leans conservative," its second-highest tier, not its top rating.

Stavros Anthony, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor and a retired law-enforcement officer, made a Task Force to Protect Women's Sports the centerpiece of his second term, established to prevent transgender female athletes from taking "awards and titles" from women and to block their participation in girls' and women's sports. The Nevada Commission on Ethics fined him for inappropriately using state office resources on the task force; he has since sued the Commission to reverse that ruling. He has endorsed Gov. Lombardo this cycle and has a long working relationship with him dating to his time on the Las Vegas City Council, when Lombardo led the Metropolitan Police Department as sheriff. A separate ethics complaint accused him of using his official government social-media account to promote a personal book and campaign endorsements.

How Anthony measures up

Created a task force to keep transgender athletes out of girls' sports; has an open ethics dispute over how the task force was funded using state resources.

Adriana Guzmán Fralick, a Reno attorney and chair of Nevada's Cannabis Compliance Board, is rated "Conservative" by iVoterGuide — the same top tier given to Flippo — which documents her opposition to taxpayer funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. She is endorsed by the Washoe County Republican Party and explicitly conservative political organizations, and separately by President Trump and Gov. Lombardo. In The Nevada Independent's direct candidate questionnaire, she said she would rescind AG Ford's model immigration policies limiting local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, arguing officers assisting ICE are "trying to get criminals off the streets"; she would also seek dismissal of the state's prosecution of Nevada's 2020 "fake electors" as a waste of resources, and opposed 2025 legislation criminalizing price-fixing of essential goods. She said Trump has done "a really good job" and specifically praised the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's tax provisions.

How Guzmán Fralick measures up

Top conservative rating, opposes abortion-provider funding, would end current limits on local-federal immigration cooperation, and would seek dismissal of the fake-electors case.

Jim Marchant, a former state assemblyman, held a 100% rating from Nevada Right to Life and an A+ rating from the NRA during his Assembly service, and was ranked by the American Conservative Union as the most conservative-voting member of the Nevada Assembly. He is a vocal supporter of voter ID and wants to eliminate electronic voting machines and universal mail balloting in favor of hand-counted paper ballots. He has repeatedly claimed he and President Trump were victims of 2020 election fraud in Nevada, despite officials finding no evidence of widespread fraud, and he used mail ballots himself while registered to vote in Florida. In December 2020 he was one of six Nevada Republicans who signed a certificate falsely claiming Trump won the state's electoral votes, though Biden won Nevada by more than 33,000 votes; the state's prosecution of that scheme remains in litigation. He announced a prior U.S. Senate campaign at a Las Vegas church rally where state GOP leaders framed the race around a "nation leaving its Christian values behind."

How Marchant measures up

Held a 100% Nevada Right to Life rating and NRA A+ rating during his Assembly service, and was ranked the most conservative-voting member of that chamber by one measure; strongly supports voter ID. Was one of six Nevadans who signed a certificate in December 2020 falsely claiming Trump had won Nevada's electors, despite Biden winning the state by more than 33,000 votes, and has continued to make unsubstantiated fraud claims since.

Drew Johnson, founder of a conservative Tennessee think tank and 2024 congressional nominee, opposes the outgoing treasurer's divestment from firearms manufacturers, calling it Treasurer Conine's "biggest failure" and stating he will "not play politics" with public money. He has proposed creating a trust from Nevada's roughly $1 billion in unclaimed property, directing the interest toward the Millennium Scholarship, and allowing state and local taxes to be paid in gold as an inflation hedge.

How Johnson measures up

Opposes the outgoing treasurer's divestment from firearms manufacturers, calling it inappropriate "politics" with public money.

Andy Matthews, the incumbent Controller and a former Nevada Assemblyman, previously served as president (2011-2015) of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank advocating school choice, lower taxes, and public-sector transparency. His Assembly-era campaign materials state he opposes "dangerous sanctuary city policies" and supports "more parental choice and accountability" in education. He worked on Adam Laxalt's 2018 gubernatorial campaign and carries endorsements from prominent Nevada conservatives.

How Matthews measures up

Former president of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank; on record opposing sanctuary-city policies and supporting expanded parental school choice.

Matthew Buehler, a U.S. Air Force veteran, previously challenged Daly for this seat in 2022 and has run for Washoe County Treasurer and the State Board of Education in past cycles. Notably, his 2018 and 2020 Treasurer campaigns were run as a registered Democrat; he has since switched to the Republican Party. No detailed 2026 policy platform on this guide's criteria was found in current reporting.

How Buehler measures up

First-time officeholder with no voting record to review; ran his previous campaigns for county office as a registered Democrat before switching parties to run as a Republican for this seat.

Lisa Krasner, the incumbent and current Senate Republican Whip, teaches the U.S. Constitution at Truckee Meadows Community College. She is endorsed by the NRA, Nevada Right to Life, Gov. Lombardo, the Senate Republican Caucus, and the Washoe and Carson City Republican Parties. In 2017 she authored a bill, passed unanimously by both parties, extending the statute of limitations for child sexual-abuse victims.

How Krasner measures up

Endorsed by both the NRA and Nevada Right to Life; teaches constitutional law at Truckee Meadows Community College; authored a unanimously-passed bill extending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse victims.

Michael Ginsburg, a manager with NV Energy and former chair of the Reno Parks and Recreation Commission, is making his first bid for elected office after a 2024 state Senate run. He is endorsed by Gov. Lombardo. No detailed public issue statements on this guide's criteria were found.

How Ginsburg measures up

First-time candidate endorsed by Gov. Lombardo; limited public issue statements found beyond that endorsement.

Veronica "the Lunch Lady" Cortes, born and raised in Sun Valley, formerly worked in nutrition services at a Washoe County elementary school and founded Valley Amigos Horseback Riding & Farming Club, a family-oriented outdoors group. No institutional endorsements or detailed 2026 issue statements were found, suggesting a grassroots, lower-resource campaign relative to her opponent.

How Cortes measures up

Longtime Sun Valley resident who worked in school nutrition services and runs a family-oriented community outdoors group; no union or PAC endorsements found.

Trista Gomez, a Truckee Meadows Community College and UNR graduate, is a real estate agent who has managed her family's small business. No detailed endorsement record or public issue statements were found either direction.

How Gomez measures up

Real estate agent and small-business manager; no institutional endorsement record found either direction.

Jill Dickman, a custom-manufacturing business owner who has held this seat on and off since 2014, states in her own campaign materials: "I will continue my fight for our children's education by properly funding and expanding access to Education Savings Accounts, and by giving parents more control of their children's education." She separately states, "I fully support our Second Amendment and believe it is integral to our freedom." She is endorsed by the Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the Assembly Republican Caucus.

How Dickman measures up

States she's fighting to expand Education Savings Accounts and "give parents more control of their children's education," and separately affirms full support for the Second Amendment.

Julie Butler worked for the State of Nevada for 30 years, including as director of the Department of Motor Vehicles, before retiring in 2024. She is endorsed by Gov. Lombardo, the Laborers' union, and the retiring Republican incumbent she seeks to succeed.

How Butler measures up

30-year state government veteran (former DMV director) endorsed by Gov. Lombardo and the retiring Republican incumbent.

Nicole Klitzke, the Republican incumbent Washoe County Public Administrator since 2023, administers the estates of county residents who die without anyone able or willing to handle their affairs. This is a narrowly technical office with essentially no connection to the criteria in this guide, and no policy statements from her current campaign were found.

How Klitzke measures up

Republican incumbent in a role managing decedents' estates with no connection to this guide's criteria.

Jon Killoran, a veteran Reno broadcaster and CEO of the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition, has taken a firm position on homelessness, calling for "treatment first, enforcing laws and clearing encampments," and criticizing the regional Nevada Cares Campus approach as "warehousing people" rather than achieving real accountability. He describes his campaign as bringing "principled and proactive conservative leadership."

How Killoran measures up

Takes a "treatment first, enforce the law" position on homelessness rather than a pure harm-reduction approach.

Troy Regas has positioned himself as an outsider, anti-establishment conservative; a local endorsement piece by former Washoe County Sheriff Tom Green frames him as a candidate for voters who "believe the system has failed" and notes he and fellow Republican Mike Clark were passed over by the official county Republican Party organization, suggesting his institutional GOP backing is thinner than a typical nominee's. His stated priorities include public safety, homelessness, and budget discipline, and he has expressed skepticism about creating a new regional parks district without clear cost data.Letter from Paul White, Education Crusade (PDF)

How Regas measures up

An outsider-positioned candidate who was passed over by the official county Republican Party organization, suggesting thinner institutional GOP support than a typical nominee.

Rob Pierce, a Navy veteran and 38-year Washoe County resident, states in his own campaign materials, "I am a conservative Christian who leads with compassion, humility, and integrity" — the most direct personal faith statement of any candidate researched for this guide. He serves as a volunteer ordained chaplain for the Washoe County Sheriff's Office and has volunteered for more than a decade with Washoe County Search and Rescue. His platform centers on "responsible growth" — not opposing development outright, but insisting growth follow infrastructure capacity for roads, water, and public safety.

How Pierce measures up

Describes himself in his own campaign materials as "a conservative Christian who leads with compassion, humility, and integrity" and serves as a volunteer chaplain for the Washoe County Sheriff's Office.