Carlton, longest-serving female lawmaker, seeking final term

Helping families recover from the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus and keeping them healthy are Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton’s top priorities heading into what could be her final term in the state Legislature.

Carlton has served in District 14 for a decade. If re-elected it would be her last two-year term, because of term limits. With her previous 12 years in the state Senate, Carlton, a Democrat, is the longest serving female lawmaker in state history.

Her sole opponent Robert Wayerski, a Libertarian, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.

“My biggest priority is putting together the budget and getting it done – making sure Nevada families are secure and safe. We know this isn’t going to be over soon,” she said. “Families are going to need support to recover from this for the next year or two.”

Carlton serves as chairwoman of the Assembly’s key Ways and Means Committee, which oversees state budgets and spending requests.

Ultimately, she said the solution to Nevada’s coronavirus-induced financial woes is the federal government.

“There’s a solution to the problem and it’s in Washington D.C. and they need to stop playing politics,” she said. “There’s no reason we should put these families in hardship.”

Carlton’s goals include making sure struggling families don’t end up losing their housing by giving funds to local governments and nonprofits to do the work. Spending money now to save them from the streets, would be cheaper in the long run.

“Once they’re homeless, it’s a lot to get them back in again,” she said, adding it would take a lot time to get them back in homes. “Keeping families in their homes is one of the most important things we can do.”

She said she would also like to tackle the issue of health care coverage.

Looking to the future, Carlton thinks her flexibility and her drive to help people makes her the best candidate. She sees how hard Nevadans were hit by the recession at her job as the executive director for the United Labor Agency of Nevada – which provides rental and utility assistance and helps clients achieve financial stability.

“When my constituents call, I answer the call. I help them fix their problems,” she said. “It’s been an honor to work with them all and I hope to serve them for the next couple of years.”

Contact Alex Chhith at achhith@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0290. Follow @alexchhith on Twitter.