Five members of the Nevada Assembly have declared that they will not be seeking reelection in 2024, signaling a shakeup in the state’s political landscape.
Clara Thomas and Angie Taylor have announced their bids for state Senate positions. Thomas, who represents Assembly District 1 (AD-1), and Taylor, who represents AD-27, seek to transition to the upper chamber of the Nevada Legislature.
Thomas officially declared her candidacy for Senate District 1 during the 67th Constitutional Convention of the AFL-CIO. This announcement followed Senator Pat Spearman’s terming out, opening up a critical seat in the state Senate.
The Nevada Assembly Democratic Caucus (NADC) also confirmed that Lesley Cohen, who has represented AD-29, will not be pursuing reelection in 2024. Meanwhile, Sabra Newby, appointed to District 10, succeeding Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen after Nguyen’s appointment to the state Senate representing District 3, is set to take on the role of Deputy City Manager for the City of Las Vegas, necessitating her resignation from the Assembly.
Perhaps the most closely watched departure is Michelle Gorelow from Assembly District 35, who narrowly secured her seat by a margin of just 400 votes out of over 25,000 cast, has decided not to seek reelection. Her decision comes on the heels of accepting a position as the director of the nonprofit organization Arc of Nevada.
Gorelow’s move to lead Arc of Nevada has raised some eyebrows, especially in light of her recent vote for AB525, which directed $100 million towards various nonprofits, including Arc, which received $250,000. Adding to the conflict is Tracy Brown-May (AD-42), who serves on the board of Arc and voted to approve the appropriation without disclosing her association with the organization.
Also exposed is Democratic Assemblyman C.H. Miller (AD-7), who failed to disclose his hiring as the President and CEO of the Urban Chamber of Commerce before voting to appropriate $100,000 on behalf of the organization. Assemblywoman Venicia Considine (AD-18) is yet another legislator who voted in favor of bills directing over $4,250,000 to the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, where she works as Director of Development and Community Relations.
Then there is Assembly Speaker Steven Yeager, who voted for a $2,000,000 allocation to HopeLink of Southern Nevada. The organization’s board chair is Scot Rutledge, who assumed the leadership role for the nonprofit in 2021 and is a paid lobbyist for them.
Rutledge is also a partner and lobbyist for Argentum partners. In 2021, Rutledge lobbied and worked closely with Yeager on cannabis legislation signed by former Nevada Governor Sisolak, where, according to social media, the pair maintain a friendship outside of the halls of Carson City.
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