CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — If elections were determined solely by fundraising, Clark County District Court Judge Elissa Cadish would be the runaway winner in the five-way Nevada Supreme Court race to replace retiring Justice Michael Cherry, according to campaign filings.
Cadish raised more than $370,000 from Jan. 1 to May 18, and state Court of Appeals Judge Jerry Tao raised just over $60,000, in their bids to advance beyond the June 12 primary, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Las Vegas attorney Alan Lefebvre raised $45,000, Lyon County District Judge Leon Aberasturi raised $24,600 and Carson City attorney John Rutledge raised about $6,000 according to finance reports released last week.
Tao noted that Cadish announced her campaign in December, earlier than the others, and said he’s comfortable with his fundraising.
Most Read Nation & World Stories
Judicial races are nonpartisan on the ballot.
However, Cadish is a Democrat who lost a bid for a federal judge position despite backing by former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.
Tao, who was a speechwriter for Reid, caused a stir when he switched his party from Democrat to nonpartisan on the last day of filing for the Supreme Court race. He has since been endorsed by Republicans including Attorney General Adam Laxalt and former state Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt Bono.
Rutledge ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for governor in 2014.
Early voting in the Nevada primary runs through June 8.
In judicial races, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, then the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.
In the race for Supreme Court Seat G, appointed incumbent Justice Lidia Stiglich reported raising more than $530,000 this year.
Her only opponent, Clark County Family Court Judge Mathew Harter, reported raising $8,801.
Abbi Silver, the chief judge on the state Court of Appeals, was the only candidate to file for the open District F seat to replace retiring justice Michael Douglas. Judicial candidates with no opponents are barred from raising campaign money.
___
Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com