Clark County GOP candidates join forces to oust chair in upcoming election

Ahead of the Clark County Republican Party elections Tuesday, opponents of Chairman Jesse Law have joined forces in hopes of pooling their votes and ousting Law.

Two candidates for chair, John Bruchhagen and Nephi “Khaliki” Oliva, have stepped back from the race to pave the way for Jill Douglass, who declared her run for chair back in April.

Bruchhagen is now running for vice chair alongside Douglass at the top of the ticket, and Oliva endorsed the two for chair and vice chair. If they are elected, Oliva will serve as “director of strategic opposition,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday.

“It’s really a matter of saying, as leaders, let’s come together,” Douglass said. “Let’s demonstrate unity.”

If they win, the two want to lead the Clark County Republican Party through the 2024 elections, getting Republicans elected up and down the ballot and in local seats, such as on the entirely Democratic Clark County Commission as well as on the Clark County school board.

“That should be the meat and potatoes of what the party is,” Bruchhagen said, adding that he wants to work on messaging and recruitment and will hold more news conferences if elected.

The candidates debated at a Nevada Republican Club luncheon on Tuesday, and afterward a straw poll showed Douglass was the winner. Law’s opponents gathered afterward to negotiate and determined Bruchhagen and Oliva would step back.

“We agreed that if we could bring our two factions together,” Douglass said, “as leaders, we wanted to come together and show that we could be united around the most important thing there is, which is winning elections.”

While some of Law’s opponents have joined forces, perennial Republican candidate Eddie Hamilton announced after the debate Tuesday that he is throwing his hat into the ring as well. The secretary of the Clark County Republican Party said Hamilton had filed within the deadline to run, but Hamilton told the Review-Journal he was not able to participate in the debate.

Law, however, said he still feels confident about his place as chair and thinks the election will end in his favor. He touted endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Gov. Joe Lombardo. He said his opponents who talk about unity are the ones creating the division.

“It’s going to be a resounding defeat of division that’s been promoted for months from Jill Douglass and now John,” Law said.

The Clark County Republican Party has been struggling with infighting for years.

Law won his election in 2021 against Nevada Sen. Carrie Buck, who then led a competing faction and held dueling meetings as a part of a larger power struggle over who is in charge of the local party. The two warring factions were embroiled in lawsuits, with Law’s group ultimately winning. The Nevada Republican Party recognized Law’s side as the legitimate Clark County GOP.

Then in November 2022, a leaked video taken during a Clark County Republican Central Committee showing then-state treasurer candidate Michele Fiore ranting against Republican Amy Tarkanian for endorsing Democratic Party candidates sparked further division within the party.

The person who leaked the video was expelled from the central committee, alongside another Republican, and members were then told videotaping and recording would be prohibited.

Barred from Trump event

Over the weekend, Douglass and Bruchhagen were prohibited from entering the event where Donald Trump was speaking. They were accused of planning to protest or heckle the former president, Douglass said.

“I would never do that,” Douglass said, adding it was “one of the most outrageous, egregious actions.”

Law denied having anything to do with Douglass’ and Bruchhagen’s inability to get into the Trump event.

“This was a Trump campaign decision,” Law said. “I didn’t have anything to do with their decision.”

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on Twitter.