Gird up your loins – Election season has started early

The 2022 General Election is still more than 13 months away, but already many state and local races are beginning to heat up.

Former U.S. Senator Dean Heller announced Monday that he is joining an already crowded field of Republican challengers looking to unseat Governor Steve Sisolak.

Heller has served Nevada in the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, the Secretary of State, and also represented Carson City in the Nevada Legislature.

Sisolak responded immediately with a series of emails to supporters critical of Heller’s record.

“There’s no other way to say it, Dean Heller is a threat to Nevada,” Sisolak said in one email released by the Committee to Elect Steve Sisolak.

Heller becomes the fifth Republican challenger to line up for the possibility of facing Sisolak, along with North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, Reno attorney Joey Gilbert and businessman Guy Nohra of Reno.

Although candidates are already declaring their intentions, the official candidate filing period for judicial seats is January 3-14, while the filing period for non-judicial offices is March 7-18.

The 2022 primary election will be held Tuesday, June 14, with early voting running from Saturday, May 28 to Friday, June 10. The general election will be Tuesday, November 8, with early voting Saturday, October 22 through Friday, November 4.

This election season will be the first time the City of Fallon elections will be held during the regular election season. Traditionally, city elections have been held in the off-election years with voting held in May of the odd-numbered years. A change during the 2019 Legislative session with Assembly Bill 50 moves municipal elections to be in line with the general election schedule.

Residents of the City of Fallon will receive a ballot with the city races listed in addition to the rest of the ballot.  In the City of Fallon open seats are Ward 1, Councilwoman Kelly Frost; and Councilman James Richardson reaching his term limit leaving an open seat in Ward 3.

Commissioner Pete Olsen was originally elected in 2010 and will be termed-out having served 12 years as a county commissioner leaving his seat open.

Additionally, the county offices up for election will be: Assessor, Denise Mondhink-Felton; Clerk/Treasurer, Linda Rothery; District Attorney, Art Mallory; Public Administration, Bob Getto; Recorder, Tasha Hessey; Sheriff, Richard Hickox; Board Of School Trustees, (Vote for 4) Fred Buckmaster, Amber Getto, Matt Hyde, Carmen Schank; Mosquito Abatement, (Vote For 3) Thomas Hutchings (Christy Lattin & Michael Spencer termed out).