The office of Nevada attorney general is open with Democrat Aaron Ford termed-out and running for governor.
Aside from governor, the office of attorney general is the most important statewide constitutional office. Four of the last nine attorneys general have later become either governor or senator.
In the June primary, Republican attorney Adriana Guzman Fralick, 57, easily won the GOP nomination defeating Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian (111,875 to 64,359).
In the Democratic primary, State Senator Nicole Cannizzaro, 43, soundly defeated Nevada Treasurer Zack Conine (112,545 to 65,251).
The Guzman Fralick vs. Cannizzaro match-up in November guarantees that Nevada’s next attorney general will be a female. Both have undergraduate degrees from UNR and law degrees from UNLV.
Born in Mexico, Guzman Fralick emigrated to Nevada with her family arriving on Independence Day when Adriana was nine. She grew up and attended schools in Sparks.
Fralick is bilingual and has her own law firm in Reno.
In this election cycle, Fralick is the only candidate for any of the six statewide constitutional offices whose primary residence is in Northern Nevada. Eleven of the 12 major party nominees live in the Las Vegas Valley.
Fralick has spent 23 years as a practicing and litigating attorney.
She has served in several positions in local and state government, including as counsel to former Gov. Jim Gibbons, the Nevada Commission on Ethics—where she provided guidance on legal and policy issues—counsel to the Public Utilities Commission and as chief deputy district attorney for Carson City.
For two years, she chaired the Cannabis Compliance Board where she oversaw all aspects of the cannabis industry’s licensing and operations.
After encouraging her candidacy, Gov. Joe Lombardo endorsed Fralick last December, calling her “uniquely qualified” to be attorney general. On June 2, Fralick was endorsed by President Trump, a decisive boost in her primary race with Tarkanian.
Born in Las Vegas, Cannizzaro joined the Clark County DA’s office as a prosecutor in 2011, leaving in 2022. She currently works for the Richard Harris personal injury law firm. She touts herself as most qualified citing 15 years of jury trial experience.
Cannizzaro is the first female Nevada Senate majority leader. First elected to the Senate in 2016, she narrowly defeated Republican Victoria Seaman. She was re-elected in 2020 and 2024 by close margins.
In the Senate, Cannizzaro championed reproductive rights by adding them to the Nevada Constitution.
She pledges to focus on “fighting back” against the Trump administration.
Cannizzaro opposes the death penalty, despite a Nevada Independent poll finding 67% of Nevada voters support keeping it for the worst crimes like the 2017 Las Vegas massacre with 60 victims.
She also opposes Question 7, the voter ID initiative passed in a landslide with over 73% approval in 2024. It requires a second “yes” vote this November to become part of the Nevada Constitution.
Conversely, Fralick supports voter ID and other voter integrity measures to reform Nevada’s loose election laws.
Fralick says Nevada must end dangerous anti-police rhetoric and is critical of AB 236, passed in 2019, that weakened penalties for serious crimes including fentanyl trafficking. It raised the felony theft threshold above even California’s. Cannizzaro supported AB 236.
Fralick stands with Lombardo who took specific steps to guarantee full state co-operation with federal immigration enforcement – no Nevada state “sanctuary.”
While Cannizzaro reported cash-on-hand of $240,000 and Fralick $114,000, there’s a big fundraising difference.
Cannizzaro raked in $600,000 in direct donations and another $120,000 from connected PACs. Fralick raised $165,000 directly.
Both benefited from significant contributions made by external groups.
Pro-Cannizzaro ads were paid for by an outside PAC that raised $745,000. Meanwhile, Fralick got a $500,000 assist from the Nevada Frontline Victory Fund – a PAC focused on electing Republican attorneys general.
Aligned with Lombardo, Fralick can win – if she raises enough money.
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