State Assembly District 16
Libertarian candidate Ed Uehling, who lost to Democrat Ruben Kihuen in state Senate District 10 two years ago, is hoping to unseat Democrat incumbent Heidi Swank in Assembly District 16, a seat Swank has held since 2012.
Swank’s first win was a landslide against Republican Ben Boarman. That might be because nearly half the voters in her district are Democrats. About 20 percent are Republicans, and 1.2 percent Libertarians.
Both Swank and Uehling support the Nevada ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. Swank said the drug’s public health risk is less than that of alcohol, and added that the costs of marijuana’s criminalization is significant.
Uehling, who is self-employed and whose goals include “helping people get started in business and not taxing them to death,” said marijuana shouldn’t have been illegal to begin with. He added that Question 2 doesn’t go far enough, but does take a “small step toward re-establishing ancient freedoms, individual responsibility, better health and eventual societal peace.” 
Uehling did not, however, support Question 1, the gun background check initiative, arguing it would add “technical traps” that would criminalize unsuspecting citizens. He also said he has not sought any endorsements because “endorsements imply commitments” and “I don’t want to be obligated to any group.”
Swank supports Question 1, citing polls that suggest 70 percent of Americans support general firearm background checks.
Swank has been endorsed by the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce; the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the Southern Nevada Building & Construction Trades Council.
Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Find @rachelacrosby on Twitter.
