Nevada GOP Primary Gets More Crowded, More Chaotic, and More Extreme

Nevada’s GOP gubernatorial primary is getting more and more hectic as the field of extreme candidates grows, and their loyalty contest for the support of the far-right drags on.

The newest contender to throw his hat in the ring is self-described “visionary entrepreneur” Guy Nohra. Nohra announced his campaign in a launch video, where he spouts off ‘Big Lie’ dog whistles and highlights the extensive experience that makes him well-prepared to be governor — you know, things like his time as a former high school football player, track athlete, and member of a 70s rock cover band.

Meanwhile, the rest of the candidates in the GOP field are battling each other and desperately trying to prove their conservative cred. Mayor John Lee is vowing to “follow the Trump agenda, and “Trump lawyer” Joey Gilbert, who called masks “face diaper[s],” is attacking fellow GOP candidate Sheriff Joe Lombardo for his response to “the COVID-19 plandemic nonsense.”

Lombardo is so eager to appease Trump’s extreme base, he’s backpedaling on issues just to win over their support. Lombardo is now decrying calls to defund the police and declaring he would veto all tax increases even after saying he has “no problem” defunding the police and previously fought for sales tax increases.

The candidates are willing to go to extremes to demonstrate their loyalty to the far-right — even if it means standing idly by when GOP elected officials use blatantly racist rhetoric. While organizations and political leaders from both parties condemned the xenophobic comments made by Nye County Commissioner Donna Cox about Kathy Sisolak, every single one of the GOP candidates refused to speak out.

“While the GOP field launches attacks to demonstrate just how far to the right they are, they’ve done absolutely nothing to demonstrate to Silver State voters they’re qualified to govern,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Each candidate to hop in this chaotic primary brings more of the same: more copy-pasted Trump rhetoric, more nonsense conspiracy theories, and more out-of-touch, harmful positions.” 

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