Holder challenges Nguyen in AD-10 primary
Appointed incumbent Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen is facing off against challenger Jesse Holder in the race for Assembly District 10.
The winner will advance to the general election against Republican Christopher William Hisgen and Independent American Jonathan Friedrich. But the Democratic nominee is likely to win the seat November, as Democrats hold a registration margin of 2-1 in the district.
Nguyen was appointed to the Assembly seat in December 2018 after incumbent Chris Brooks was appointed to fill a vacant state Senate seat.
Nguyen, a criminal defense attorney, played a key role in refining the omnibus criminal justice bill, AB 236, during the 2019 session. She said the her experiences gained as an appointed lawmaker would allow her to hit the ground running if elected to a second term.
Nguyen said she the budget hits from the coronavirus will force the state to look long and hard at what it considers essential.
“What do we really need? Where is our investment going to pay off in the future the most?” Nguyen said.
She said lawmakers should be looking at improving the state’s infrastructure when it comes to handling unemployment, noting how the system was overwhelmed when more than 300,000 Nevadans filed for unemployment insurance claims in the weeks following the shutdown of casinos and nonessential businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Holder, a real-estate agent and licensed mortgage loan officer, could not be reached for an interview for this story.
Holder previously ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly, Las Vegas City Council and for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.
During his run for the Assembly District 10 race in 2014, his candidacy was challenged by Republican Shelly Shelton on grounds that he did not live in the central Las Vegas district. A judge ruled him ineligible to be a candidate in that election after Holder and his attorney missed the court hearing for the challenge.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.
