Some races are toss-ups. Some are nail-biters. And then there’s Assembly District 19… a district so red it makes a MAGA hat look faded.
So the idea that this deep-red seat might get stuck with an appointed moderate who already tripped on his very first vote should worry every conservative from Henderson to Mesquite.
Recently-appointed Assemblyman Jason Patchett announced this week that he now wants a full term in AD19.
Good for him. But here’s the blunt truth: AD19 isn’t the place to send an establishment moderate who still needs on-the-job-training.
The Rookie Mistake That Says It All
Patchett’s first big test came fast.
Lawmakers were called into a special session last month to vote on a $1.4 billion film tax credit proposal.
Most conservatives called it what it was. A Hollywood handout. Corporate welfare dressed up like job creation.
Patchett showed up for his first day of school and voted to block the bill. Good start.
Then he flip-flopped and voted for it!
Why? Because he admitted he “didn’t know what was going on” procedurally in the early days of the session.
His words. Not mine.
Folks, if you don’t know what’s going on in Carson City, the last thing you should do is vote to give Hollywood over a billion dollars of your money.
That’s not conservatism. That’s getting spun like a top by insiders who could smell a rookie from a mile away.
Appointed by Democrats – Running as a “Republican”
Let’s be honest about how Patchett got the seat.
The Clark County Commission, which has six Democrats and only one Republican, appointed him at the behest of Clouseau-like Assembly Minority Leader Greg Hafen.
That’s not exactly a conservative seal of approval. That’s more like the political equivalent of “we can work with this guy.”
AD19 didn’t elect him. Democrats appointed him. That alone should make every Republican voter stop and think.
Rookie Lawyer vs. Proven Conservative
Carson City already has more lawyers than a personal injury billboard convention. Patchett is another one.
Nothing against lawyers. Some of my best arguments have been with them.
But AD19 isn’t begging for another attorney who’s been in Carson City for five minutes. This district is filled with small business owners, ranching families, and people who make payroll without government help.
Those folks don’t get to say “I didn’t know what was going on” when a real-life decision hits them. They figure it out. Fast.
Because real jobs and real families are at stake.
Now, if former Assemblywoman Annie Black – who held the seat during the 2021 “COVID” session – jumps into the race, AD19 gets the matchup it deserves.
She’s not learning the ropes. She already knows them. Tight.
She’s been in the arena. She fought for school choice, lower taxes, election integrity, and smaller government.
And unlike Patchett, Annie is a small businesswoman. She works in real estate.
She talks to actual families paying actual bills. She knows how government rules hit your wallet because she lives it every day.
Her conservative record isn’t a slogan. It’s a resume.
When she says she’ll fight for taxpayers, you can count on her to act. She doesn’t need to stop and figure out the rules first.
A Conservative District Doesn’t Need a Moderate with Training Wheels
Critics will say Patchett is thoughtful. Moderate. Reasonable.
That’s fine for a swing district. But AD19 isn’t a swing district. It’s a GOP fortress.
And sending a moderate rookie who already voted for the Hollywood Handout is like hiring a lifeguard who can’t swim yet but is taking swimming lessons.
Nice guy. Wrong job.
If AD19 sends a rookie who needs on-the-job-training to Carson City, they’ll get more Hollywood handouts, more confused votes, and maybe a tax hike.
If they send Annie Black, they’ll get the fighter they deserve who will be ready on day one.
And in a district this conservative, the choice should be as clear as the desert sky.
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