Henderson mayor announces run for lieutenant governor

Term-limited Henderson Mayor Debra March on Wednesday announced her candidacy for lieutenant governor in 2022, citing her more than decade of service to Nevada’s second-largest city and to Southern Nevada overall.

March cited her work as mayor to attract “jobs of the future that will withstand economic downturns” in industries such as advanced manufacturing, health care and life sciences, global finance and technology. She said in a statement that she would work as lieutenant governor to diversify the state economy to “ensure all Nevadans have the opportunity to have jobs that pay living wages.”

March becomes the second Democrat to announce for the race to succeed Kate Marshall, who stepped down in September to join President Joe Biden’s administration as a senior adviser to governors in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Transgender activist and Northern Nevada Democrat Kimi Cole announced her candidacy earlier this month. Announced Republican candidates include former state treasurer Dan Schwartz, Las Vegas Councilman Stavros Anthony and Las Vegas activist Mack Miller.

The lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate, chairs the state tourism commission and serves on other bodies, including the state transportation board.

March served as a Henderson councilwoman from 2009 until her election as mayor in 2017. In a release on her candidacy she vowed to work to “diversify Nevada’s economy, promote reliable transportation and strengthen the state’s educational system.”

Among her achievements, she cited spearheading development of Southern Nevada Strong, “the region’s first federally recognized regional plan that gave the region access to resources it never had before.” As the first woman and first mayor to chair the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, she cited job-creating investments and increasing transit service by 40 percent.

If elected, she named economic development, transportation and education as priorities, saying “a strong, connected and reliable transportation network for residents and visitors is essential to ensure people can get to work and visit the State” and “an educated and trained workforce” will help the state compete economically.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.