CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ENDORSEMENTS NEWS RELEASE – The Chamber of Reno, Sparks, and Northern Nevada has announced their endorsements for the Primary, and urges its members and all registered voters to exercise their right to determine the future on June 10. According to the Chamber, the next group of elected leaders has a monumental task of ensuring that northern Nevada remains a region that is conducive to job growth and economic diversification.
The Chamber’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is composed of 15 individuals with diverse backgrounds. Candidates are endorsed based on a variety of criteria, including in-person interviews, responses to a questionnaire, agreement with the Chamber’s “Agenda for Economic Vitality,” seriousness of campaign effort, political viability and other factors. A majority of the Chamber’s PAC must vote to endorse any candidate.
“The business community cannot afford to ignore the political process and sit out these elections this year,” stated Tray Abney, Director of Government Relations. “Our elected leaders play a critical role in determining the future direction of the Truckee Meadows. Growth policies, permit fees, infrastructure development, entrepreneurial encouragement, and regional cooperation and integration are critical to our success. We believe that the candidates endorsed here are the right leaders for our region right now and are prepared to move forward, shed the biases of the past, put party and ideology aside, and work with all of us to ensure that we are well-positioned for job growth and an ever-increasing quality of life.”
While a lot of attention has been paid to the City of Reno mayor’s race, The Chamber has not issued an endorsement at this time. According to the Chamber, they have always stated that more business-experienced candidates are needed to run for public office and, after having interviewed many of those who filed, they believe that there are several who are well-prepared to lead the city forward and who understand the seriousness of the task at hand.
Primary Election Day is June 10, but early voting began Saturday, May 24.
The following is a list of candidates endorsed by the Chamber:
Governor: Brian Sandoval
Lt. Governor: Mark Hutchison
State Senate District 16: Ben Kieckhefer
State Assembly District 25: Pat Hickey
State Assembly District 26: Randy Kirner
Washoe County Commission District 2: Bob Lucey
Washoe County Commission District 3: Kitty Jung
Washoe County Commission District 5: Dian Vanderwell
Reno City Council Ward 4: Mike Steedman
City of Sparks Mayor: Geno Martini
Sparks City Council Ward 2: Ed Lawson
Sparks City Council Ward 4: Kristopher Dahir
