Candidate for Senate District 12 looking for diverse, sustainable job market
A former tourism industry employee is hoping to see more diverse jobs come to Nevada, with a focus on sustainability.
Julie Pazina, the national director of sales for Edlen Electrical, said if elected, she wants to help diversify Southern Nevada’s job force to avoid the economic devastation caused by the pandemic when the tourism industry crumbled.
Pazina, a Henderson resident who has lived in Nevada since 2002, is running for state Senate District 12, which covers southeastern areas of the county including Mesquite, Laughlin, Boulder City and parts of Henderson. The district’s former representative, state Sen. Joe Hardy, is term-limited and running for mayor of Boulder City.
Pazina’s opponent, Cherlyn Arrington did not respond to multiple requests for an interview from the Review-Journal.
Pazina formerly served as president of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association and as a member of the Nevada Commission on Tourism. If elected, she said she would like to explore microloans for new small businesses.
“I look at the community and there are so many innovative, smart people who recently opened businesses or are waiting to so they can ensure a better opportunity for success post-pandemic,” she said. “I’d love to have them bring their small business to Nevada.”
Pazina would like to work on a greener economy in the state, bringing in more solar and wind power, and passing legislation to tighten water use. She commended local homeowner’s associations who have removed unnecessary grass.
“I’m here to listen to groups in the community that can best advise on how we can conserve,” she said. “I always look to the Nevada Conservation League, the Sierra Club and the (Southern Nevada) Water Authority.”
Pazina ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2018, losing to Republican Keith Pickard by just 24 votes in a three-person race.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.