A Surprising Political Move in Nevada
You know that feeling when someone you thought was on your team suddenly switches jerseys? That’s what happened yesterday when former Nevada state senator Becky Harris announced she’s ditching the Republican Party. She changed her voter registration to non-partisan on October 3rd to run for Clark County Commission District F.
This move matters a lot for conservatives in Nevada. Harris served as a Republican state senator from 2014 to 2018. She was even the first woman to chair the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Now she’s saying both parties are “failing to govern in an effective manner.” She told reporters she doesn’t care for the vitriol and the unyielding positions of the two political parties. She said standing on party philosophy is not really helpful for people.
Why This Race Matters to Conservatives
District F covers the southwest part of Las Vegas valley. It includes neighborhoods like Mountain’s Edge and Southern Highlands. Just under 40% of District F’s 243,075 registered voters are non-partisan, while 28% are Democrats and 26% are Republicans. These numbers show Republicans already face an uphill battle in this district.
Here’s what makes this especially frustrating for limited-government conservatives. Two solid Republicans, Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama and businessman Albert Mack, have already announced they’re running for the seat. Both candidates support conservative values like limited spending and government accountability.
Kasama has represented Assembly District 2 since 2020 and is a former accountant and real estate agent who owns her own business. She’s been talking about bringing fiscal discipline to the county commission. As a former accountant, she said she sees reckless spending and lack of accountability that burdens taxpayers.
Albert Mack is the CEO of a private equity firm called TBD Group. Mack said he wants to bring real-world experience and conservative common sense to the commission. His family has deep roots in Las Vegas. He’s the grandson of Jerome Mack, who founded the Bank of Las Vegas and was a big name in the casino business.
The Real Impact on the Primary
By running as a non-partisan, Harris skips the Republican primary completely. She goes straight to the general election ballot. Meanwhile, Kasama and Mack will have to fight it out in the primary. This splits Republican resources and energy while Harris saves her campaign money for the general election.
Harris claims she didn’t know that automatic inclusion on the general election ballot was a benefit of running as non-partisan until she changed her registration. That’s hard to believe from someone who served in the state senate for four years.
Harris could split the conservative vote in the general election.
Harris on Housing
On housing policy, Harris favors more government involvement. Rather than letting the free market work, she wants to work with developers to see where affordable housing projects make sense. She even defends putting apartments next to single-family homes. Multi-family housing is just part of living in a diverse community, she says.
Looking Ahead
This race will test whether conservatives can unite behind one candidate. With Harris running as non-partisan, she might pull votes from both Republicans and Democrats. That could hand this seat to the Democrats if conservatives split their votes.
Conservatives who want limited government should pay attention to this race. Support the candidate who best represents your values in the primary. Most importantly, make sure you vote in both the primary and general elections.
The future of limited government in Clark County depends on conservatives staying united. Don’t let party-switchers divide us.
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.
