An Open Seat and an Opportunity
A North Las Vegas state Assembly seat is up for grabs in 2026, and the race to fill it is already getting interesting.
Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno is not running for re-election. She has her sights set on the North Las Vegas Mayor’s race instead. That opened the door for five candidates to jump into the Democratic primary for Assembly District 1.
The district covers parts of North Las Vegas and leans heavily Democratic. About 34% of registered voters there are Democrats, 33% are nonpartisan, and 25% are Republicans, according to state data.
The five Democrats in the race are Jo Cato, Alexis Esparza, Millian “Mack” Gledhill, James Fennell Jr., and Lou “Big Lou” DeSalvio.
No Republican filed for the seat.
One of those candidates stands out from the rest. Lou “Big Lou” DeSalvio — president of Laborers Local 872 — switched his party registration from Republican to Democrat back in November and filed to run in the Democratic primary.
A Track Record Worth Noting
DeSalvio isn’t exactly a newcomer to Nevada politics. He ran as a Democrat for a state Assembly seat in 2010 and again in 2012 — losing both times. Then he ran as a nonpartisan candidate for Las Vegas City Council Ward 6 in 2022 and came in third in that primary, too.
Between those races, his politics apparently drifted to the right.
Why Conservatives Should Pay Attention
Now, you might be wondering — why should conservatives care about a Democratic primary in a safe Democratic district?
DeSalvio has the most money in the race — he’s raised $42,450 as of the March 31 filing deadline. He has the endorsement of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association.
And if a guy who was registered Republican just six months ago wins a Democratic primary and ends up in the Nevada Assembly, that’s not the worst outcome from a conservative perspective.
It won’t turn the seat red. Assembly District 1 is solidly Democratic. But a pro-labor, law-enforcement-endorsed, recently-Republican Democrat in that seat is a far cry from, say, the 25-year-old Bernie Sanders campaign veteran also running in the primary.
Sometimes you root for the least bad option.
What His Opponents Are Saying
His rivals in the primary aren’t buying it. Fellow candidate Alexis Esparza stated flatly:
“He changed his party affiliation in November from Republican to Democrat.”
Laura Martin, a longtime Southern Nevada progressive activist, put it more bluntly.
“He’s very obviously a MAGA Republican,” she said.
“He’s being an opportunist. He sees Daniele is not running, and he sees an opportunity rather than a calling. Nobody looks at him as a leader.”
DeSalvio has not responded to press requests for comment.
The Bigger Picture
This race illustrates something conservatives have been saying for years. In heavily gerrymandered or one-party districts, the primary is the only election that really matters.
The Nevada primary is June 9, 2026. The winner of the Democratic primary faces nonpartisan candidate Tarik Barnes in November.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
