Hollywood handouts aren’t on the ballot in June. But many of the politicians who will determine if there’s a sequel are.
In Senate District 8, George Harris and Laz Chavez are squaring off in the Republican primary. Harris is a veteran, retired business executive and longtime conservative leader. Along with David Gibbs, Harris helped spearhead the Voter ID initiative that will be on the November ballot. Increasing election security is a priority for Republican voters. Harris was an integral part of a tangible effort to do just that. Gov. Joe Lombardo deserves credit here, too.
Last November, Harris railed against the Hollywood handout proposal. He called it the “Hollywood Hustle” and the “Summerlin studio scam.” That kind of honest and blunt language doesn’t win you many friends among Carson City lobbyists, but it should among Republican voters.
Chavez served for more than three decades with Las Vegas police. Chavez opposes Hollywood handouts, according to campaign spokesman Jeremy Hughes. That’s good news. Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop, the Democrat incumbent voted for the Hollywood handout bill. It would be great to have someone in that seat who would oppose a similar effort in 2027. Remember, that bill failed by only a single vote in the state Senate.
But saying the right thing in a primary can’t match the credibility Harris has built up over the years. If Republican voters want someone who will boldly and enthusiastically fight for conservative principles, they should vote for Harris.
Assembly District 19 is another interesting race. It’s such a bright red district that there’s not even a Democrat running. Jason Patchett is the current Assembly member, but he wasn’t elected. The Clark County Commission appointed him after Toby Yurek stepped down.
Generally, a Democrat-run commission isn’t going to pick a rock-solid conservative for a heavily red district. To be fair to Patchett, he was nominated by Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen II, R-Pahrump. But being nominated by Hafen is perhaps an even bigger red flag than being approved by Democrats. Sure enough, Patchett cast the deciding vote to advance Hollywood handouts out of the Assembly.
Amy Groves is a principled conservative who’s running against Patchett. She opposes Hollywood handouts and has been roasting Patchett for his vote. Annie Black, who previously represented the district, endorsed Groves. She would be a major upgrade in this seat.
Democrats have an interesting primary in Senate District 2, a safe Democrat seat. Incumbent Sen. Edgar Flores is running against North Las Vegas City Councilman Isaac Barron. Flores has a liberal voting record that fits his district.
During the special session, Flores faced enormous pressure to support Hollywood handouts. Had he flipped, it would have passed. That could have smoothed his path to re-election. Yet, Flores voted no anyway.
Even if you disagree with Flores on most issues, it was an admirable display of political courage.
If voters want elected officials who prioritize taxpayers over special interests, they need to pay attention in primaries.
Victor Joecks’ column appears in the Opinion section each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.
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