Laxalt announces candidacy for Governor

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt announced Wednesday during his first stop on a 17-county statewide tour that he is running for Governor of Nevada.

Laxalt launched his candidacy before hundreds of supporters at Brady Industries in Las Vegas and offered thoughts on his plans and vision for Nevada’s future.

“I am running for Governor so that the dreams of Nevadans can endure and thrive beyond this generation and into the next,” Laxalt said. “This state has meant so much, and given so much, to me and to my family through the years. And it is with deep gratitude and humility that I ask for the trust of my fellow Nevadans, so that together, we can write Nevada’s next chapter — the greatest chapter yet in our state’s rich history.”

The announcement kicked off “The Laxalt 17” tour, a seven-day, statewide swing during which Laxalt will visit each of Nevada’s 17 counties. The first day of the tour featured stops in Las Vegas as well as Reno/Sparks, with the trip ending in Pahrump on November 7.

The tour had originally been scheduled in October, but was postponed by the mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay and Route 91 Music Festival in Las Vegas.

“Over the next seven days, and throughout this campaign, I’ll be sharing my vision for Nevada with citizens all across our great Silver State,” Laxalt said. “I look forward to speaking with and hearing from my fellow Nevadans about how we can improve our schools, continue to grow our economy and create jobs, and keep our families and communities safe.”

Laxalt’s statewide tour does not include a stop in Fernley but Mayor Roy Edgington met with Laxalt last week and invited him to visit Fernley for a tour of the area.

Laxalt, a Republican, was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, making him Nevada’s 33rd Attorney General. A father, husband, and fourth-generation native Nevadan, Laxalt is also a former Navy Lieutenant who served as a Judge Advocate General, and volunteered to serve in a combat zone in Iraq, where he and his unit helped detain and prosecute thousands of war criminals and terrorists.

Laxalt will oppose state Treasurer Dan Schwartz in the Republican primary election. Steve Sisolak and Chris Giunchigliani , both Clark County Commissioners, are Democratic candidates.

During his campaign kickoff Wednesday morning, Laxalt opened up about his struggle with alcoholism as a teenager, talked about his service and deployment as an officer in the U.S. Navy, things he discusses in a video on his website. He said Nevada must be the most economically competitive state in the Western U.S., that we must find educational solutions that create choices, not restrict them.