Nevada GOP gubernatorial candidate pays for recount
A recount in the Republican primary for the governor’s race began across the state Thursday. Reno attorney Joey Gilbert’s campaign paid almost $200,000 for the recount after alleging widespread fraud in the election.
He fell 11 percent — or 25,932 votes — short of defeating Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, according to state vote tallies. However, Gilbert has refused to concede the race.
“It’s definitely not over,” campaign spokesman Paul White said.
The Gilbert campaign requested the recount Wednesday afternoon and the process began in each county Thursday morning. Counties have up to five days to complete the recount.
During this campaign, Gilbert repeatedly made false claims about the veracity of the 2020 election and lobbed conspiracies about the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas.
The campaign previously cited “numerous election violations” during the process of June’s primary but has not provided evidence for many of those claims. Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria addressed some of the concerns he heard last week when the county certified the primary’s results, many of which came from Gilbert supporters.
Gilbert is still preparing legal action against the state. The spokesman said that the recount will reveal additional evidence for that case.
“There was real outside-the-lines activity in the election,” White said.
While the campaign doesn’t necessarily expect the outcome of the election to change based on the recount, White said, a recount is just one step in the process of legally challenging the result. Holding a recount bolsters their case in court and proves that they have exhausted all avenues of remedy before suing the state, he said.
Gilbert and his campaign want each county to recount ballots by hand, which Gilbert believes is more secure, but many counties have chosen to use electronic machines.
“For the same machines that are suspect of not giving a true result, why go through them a second time?” White said.
Since he requested the recount, Gilbert’s campaign must pay the total cost of $191,000 statewide.
Contact Nick Robertson at NRobertson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @NickRobertsonSU on Twitter.
