Candidates for Lyon County Commission Districts 2 and 5, Lyon County District Attorney and Sheriff participated in community form on March 26 at Calvary Chapel in Fernley.
Each speaker was given four minutes to present their platform with no rebuttals or audience questions. Gregory Barrett, a candidate for the Fernley City Council who organized and hosted the event, opened the forum by explaining the format and encouraging residents to meet with candidates afterward or leave written questions in boxes designated for each candidate. Each candidate was provided table space to meet with voters following the presentations.
County Commission District 2
Scott Keller, the incumbent District 2 commissioner and current chair of the Lyon County Commission, emphasized his experience at the local, state and national levels. Keller highlighted his background in the building trades and real estate, along with years of service on local advisory boards, parks and recreation, and water company leadership. He pointed to his roles with the Nevada Association of Counties, including serving as vice president and president-elect, and his work on national rural policy committees, where he said he has helped secure federal funding for county projects. Keller said his focus remains responsible growth, protecting rural communities and ensuring Lyon County has a strong voice in state and federal policy decisions.
Davy Stix, the first mayor of Fernley, said he is running for the District 2 commission seat because he wants to represent the community, not because he needs the job. Stix emphasized his family’s long-running ranching business and said that success gives him the flexibility to devote time to county issues. He criticized what he described as bullying behavior by the current commission toward a landowner in Mason Valley and said elected officials must treat residents respectfully. Stix acknowledged he has not regularly attended commission meetings due to running his ranch but said he would be fully committed to the role and represent residents faithfully if elected.
County Commission District 5
Mark Jones, vice chair of the Lyon County Planning Commission, said he is running for the District 5 seat after gaining experience on advisory boards and planning bodies that he believes prepared him for the role. Jones said he previously considered running but decided he wasn’t ready, and said serving on the Planning Commission has given him insight into the land-use and development issues the county faces. He highlighted his 55-year career in senior management across multiple industries including gaming, hospitality, construction, financial services and manufacturing. He said cities need to be run at the speed of business, not at the speed of government. Jones said Lyon County needs to be more welcoming to new businesses while preparing infrastructure for incoming development, particularly power and water needs. He emphasized leadership through experience and said he is now ready to serve.
Cole Mortensen, a fifth-generation Nevadan and longtime Fernley resident, highlighted his 20-plus years with the Nevada Department of Transportation, where he rose from structural engineer to executive deputy director overseeing project management, planning, finance, human resources and communications. Mortensen said that experience gives him a deep understanding of how public funds can and cannot be used, as well as how to navigate state processes to secure grants and move major projects forward. He said the county needs to have a strategic plan to deal with the explosive growth, especially in Fernley, and must be transparent and get community involvement and engagement.
Mark Phillips, a retired agricultural business professional, said he is running for the District 5 seat to continue the service of outgoing Commissioner Dave Hockaday. Phillips highlighted his 40-year career working directly with farmers to solve problems and said he would bring that same practical, customer-focused approach to county government. He noted his involvement in local boards and community groups and encouraged voters to learn more about his background on his campaign website.
Micah Triplett, also a lifelong Lyon County resident with 18 years of experience in fire service, emphasized public safety, economic diversification and long-term planning. Triplett highlighted his background as a hazardous-materials technician and paramedic, along with degrees in financial economics and fire science, saying that combination gives him both operational and fiscal insight. He pointed to his work as president of the Yerington Chamber of Commerce, where he helped coordinate the Main Street Committee, the city and local businesses on shared development goals, and said he wants to bring that same collaborative approach to the county. Triplett said he is committed to transparency, community engagement and creating opportunities for future generations.
District Attorney Candidates
Mark Krueger, a career prosecutor and former chief deputy district attorney in Lyon County, highlighted his experience handling more than 40 jury trials and securing the longest sentence in county history, 375 years to life, in a child-abuse case. He said he has worked extensively on both the criminal and civil sides of the DA’s office and emphasized his strong relationship with the sheriff’s office. Krueger said he currently serves as a chief deputy attorney general in the Bureau of Consumer Protection, where he has helped secure multimillion-dollar settlements in opioid and social-media litigation.
Mario Walther, a Lyon County resident and attorney, said he is running for district attorney because he believes deeply in the county and its future. Walther said he has spent the past decade working on criminal and civil litigation, water rights, public lands issues and open-meeting law. He emphasized that the job is fundamentally about protecting people, ensuring victims are heard and strengthening cases through collaboration, accountability and attention to detail. Walther said he has seen where the system breaks down and believes Lyon County “can do better.”
Sheriff
Sheriff Brad Pope, sworn in as Lyon County Sheriff in 2023, said his two decades of experience in the agency and his background in business management have guided his efforts to modernize the department and improve public safety. Pope said he has worked every assignment in the sheriff’s office and emphasized major reductions in Fernley response times since taking office, including cutting priority-one response times from 23 minutes in 2022 to 5 minutes and 45 seconds in 2025. Pope said the department has adopted a proactive enforcement strategy, resulting in sharp increases in traffic stops, arrests and drug-related cases, and corresponding decreases in burglaries and larcenies. He said the sheriff’s office has eliminated grace periods for sex-offender registration and has strengthened community trust through visibility, transparency and participation in local events. Pope said the department is committed to being responsive, accountable and engaged with residents.
Comment
Comments