2 first-time candidates seeking open Assembly District 18 seat

Two first-time candidates are facing off in the race for the vacant seat in state Assembly District 18.

Democrat Venicia Considine is an attorney for the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and has lived in Las Vegas for nearly 30 years. Republican Heather Ann Florian is a local business manager studying political science online at Liberty University.

The open seat, currently held by Democrat Richard Carrillo, covers a portion of the eastern Las Vegas Valley. Carrillo, who was first elected in 2010, made an unsuccessful run for Senate District 7 this year, losing in the Democratic primary.

Considine is a graduate of UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in American western history, both from UNLV.

She is focused on affordable housing solutions and investing in other key services such has health care and mental health. She also said that this upcoming session will be an opportunity to modernize the state’s revenue and revisit areas that might have been swept under the rug or not gotten attention in the past.

“I would love to see all of the problems that have been exposed during during this pandemic, from education, from unemployment, keeping small businesses functioning, all of those things, I’d love to see all of that fixed,” she said. “But it’s so hard right now to even see what 2020 is going to be like because things keep changing month to month.”

To build a life of dignity, Considine said, is to have a home, a good paying job, health care and equitable education.

“This is the opportunity where we can pivot our state to start planning for a much more robust future for Nevadans,” she said.

Florian said she decided to run because of her strong will to uphold the Constitution.

“I believe in the Constitution, I believe in the amendments and I believe they should be protected at all costs,” she said. Florian, who volunteered for campaigns in Chicago before moving to Henderson five years ago, said that she would also support legislation that would limit the governor’s power during an emergency.

“He should have 30-day power, and then he should have to seek a vote and the Legislature to make those orders,” she said. “I think the (state) Constitution needs to change a little bit, and that would be my No. 1 priority.”

Florian said even though she doesn’t have much experience running for office, she is eager and learning as she goes.

She supports school choice, wants to fight against human trafficking in Nevada and promises not to increase taxes.

“I decided to run because I see the impact that everything is having on Nevada, and it was something that I believed in my heart is the right thing to do,” she said.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.