(April Corbin Girnus) – Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate for Nevada Attorney General, and both Republicans in the running are attempting to align themselves with the president who has referred to himself as “the most sued human being in history.”
The Republican primary this June is between Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian and Gov. Joe Lombardo-backed Adriana Guzmán Fralick. The winner will advance to the general election in November, where they will face off against the winner of the Democratic primary between Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and State Treasurer Zach Conine.
Guzmán Fralick did not respond to the Nevada Current’s requests for an interview. Tarkanian responded, but only to decline the interview, citing the recommendation of his campaign consultants.
The Nevada Attorney General represents the state in lawsuits. That can include major nationwide litigation, like those filed against pharmaceutical companies or social media companies. It can also be criminal cases, such as those related to Medicaid provider fraud.
For Democratic AGs across the country, it has also meant signing onto dozens of lawsuits challenging actions by the Trump administration. As of mid-January, Ford’s office had joined 40 such lawsuits since the start of Trump’s second term, and the number has only risen since.
It’s something both Republicans would most assuredly put an end to if elected.
“I am not going to be suing our leader, President Trump, every other day,” Guzmán Fralick told attendees of a Nye County Republican Party event last November, a video of which was posted online.
Tarkanian’s campaign website prominently features a photo of him speaking at a podium adorned with a MAGA sign. Trump endorsed Tarkanian in 2018 during his unsuccessful attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Susie Lee.
Despite that, Guzmán Fralick’s campaign and supporters have attempted to brand Tarkanian as a Trump hater. Tarkanian quickly countered that Guzmán Fralick supported Jeb Bush for president in 2016 while Tarkanian supported Trump, even after the “grab them by the pussy” video emerged and many dropped support.
Guzmán Fralick is endorsed by Lombardo, who notably did not appear publicly with the president when he visited Las Vegas earlier this month.
On many issues, both Guzmán Fralick and Tarkanian seem to be in agreement
Guzmán Fralick vows on her campaign website to “seek the passage of” a state version of Trump’s SAVE America Act. Tarkanian in a KTVN 2 News Nevada interview promised to investigate all allegations of voter fraud.
Tarkanian has said he is committed to “protecting.women’s sports” against trans women. Guzmán Fralick is listed as one of three directors of Lombardo’s Protect Girls’ Sports proposed ballot initiative, which seeks to ban trans girls from playing on girls sports teams.
Guzmán Fralick told 2 News in Reno that what sets her apart from Tarkanian is that she has been “actually practicing law, litigating.” She highlighted her experience with administrative law, which she said is important because the AG represents state agencies in lawsuits.
Guzmán Fralick spent 15 years working in state and local government, with stints at the Nevada Ethics Commission, Public Utilities Commission, Gaming Control Board and Carson City District Attorney’s Office. Most recently, she served as chair of the state’s Cannabis Compliance Board.
Tarkanian, the son of former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, has been a licensed attorney for nearly four decades. He’s been a Douglas County commissioner since 2020.
Tarkanian is often called a perennial candidate because he has run for — and lost — mulitple state and federal elections over the years.
Still, of the two Republicans running for AG, only he has won elected office, he pointed out to 2 News. Guzmán Fralick has only been appointed to boards and positions within the state. She unsuccessfully ran for the nonpartisan Nevada State Board of Education in 2012.
Guzmán Fralick arrived in Reno from Mexico at age 9 on the Fourth of July, according to a promotional video for her law firm. In the video, she says when she arrived in Reno there were no Spanish-speaking children around, so she had to quickly learn the language — an experience she says gave her empathy.
Earlier this year, after U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents fatally shot Minnesotan Alex Pretti and sparked national outrage, Guzmán Fralick condoned the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics.
“They’re trying to do a job. They’ve got orders,” she told the Current in January. “If you put yourself in their position, they have to go and try to get a criminal. We put into office the president to do a job. He was elected to do what we want him to do.”
Tarkanian at that time told the Current he supports the president in the mission to remove “violent illegal immigrants from our communities, and from our country.” But he called the video of Pretti being shot “horrific” and called for an official investigation into the handling of the situation.
Beyond Trump as an issue, Guzmán Fralick has said Ford should sue the State of California and Gov. Gavin Newsom for “systematically dismantling the refinery infrastructure that Nevada’s families, businesses, and economy depend on.”
Tarkanian has said he wants to go after insurance companies that deny valid claims or delay claims. “I’ve had that personal experience,” he said at a Nye County Republican Party event last November, a clip of which was posted online. “They’re going to be prosecuted. They’re going to pay a price for doing so.”
According to campaign finance reports, Tarkanian and Guzmán Fralick raised close to the same amount of campaign contributions during the first quarter of the year. Tarkanian reported raising $154,000. Guzmán Fralick reported $116,000. However, Tarkanian’s amount includes $42,800 in personal loans to his campaign. Guzmán Fralick’s amount includes $7,800 in personal loans.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was originally published via NevadaCurrent.com on 4/28/2026.
