2026 Judicial Election: Candidate Filing Is Open

Filing for 2026 judicial candidates opens today and runs until 5 p.m. on January 16, 2026. Time to put up or shut up. This post is meant to be dedicated to all things related to who is running, questions regarding the process, etc. For all things candidate filing in Clark County go here. The Judicial Candidate filing guide is here. You can see who has filed in Clark County here. You can find about filing for statewide judicial positions and who else has filed for those here. Good luck!

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 9:25 am

Does anyone know if Judge Sturman is running again?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 9:33 am
Reply to  Anonymous

She is not. She is retiring effective sometime this February.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 9:46 am
Reply to  Anonymous

That is surprising and too bad. She has done a great job.

anonymous
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anonymous
January 5, 2026 10:22 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Will they appoint a seat-warmer for the upcoming year, or just use seniors?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 10:27 am
Reply to  anonymous

Probably seniors. I would expect a rotation of Becker and/or Cherry. Becker was Probate Commissioner for about a year and a half.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 1:09 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Someone with that experience is going to need to take over that Tony Hsieh hsietshow that is pending in her court.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 3:36 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I’m not proud this got me to laugh but it did.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 10:42 am
Reply to  anonymous

I suspect they appoint since it is 9 months to the election. Governor is not going to miss an opportunity to put another DA on the bench. Maybe this is Dena Rinetti’s lucky 6th chance.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 10:52 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Is the Governor not aware of civil practice or is it that he just doesn’t care?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 11:01 am
Reply to  Anonymous

He does not care when there are so many DAs that he wants on the bench.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 11:28 am
Reply to  Anonymous

It’s now to the point where I will vote against him just because of the havoc he is wreaking on civil practice. I will be vocal with friends and family about this. And otherwise, I like the Governor.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 8:24 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

You do realize 3 of the governors five appointees in clerk county were civil attorneys.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 9:56 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Tina Talim- DA
Erika Mendoza- DA
Danielle Pieper- DA
Jacob Reynolds- Hutchison and Steffen

Tell me again about 3 of his 5 appointees being civil attorneys. Sure Family Court were private practice attorneys; but there is a lower amount of DA involvement in Family Court

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 10:07 am
Reply to  Anonymous

You’re not technically wrong, and I definitely want more civil practitioners on the EJDC bench. That said, Talim and Pieper have proven to be competent and fair at handling their civil cases.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 10:15 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Pieper and Talim very nice but have no idea what they are doing in civil cases. They call balls and strikes the best that they can but are effectively lay jurors on the civil bench.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 2:49 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Why, pray tell, did they rank so high? You know it was largely the civil bar who responded to the RJ survey.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 2:48 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Now you’re removing family court? Adriana Rincon, Paul Gaudet. That’s three six. Not to mention those appointment in other districts. I believe those have been majority civil attorneys. When it’s an all civil department, he will appoint a civil attorney. When it’s a split docket, DA. Which makes sense don’t ya think? You realize he is the former sheriff, right?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 2:59 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

You mean there isn’t an entire division of the DAs office that appears on family court everyday?? lol.

guest
Guest
guest
January 5, 2026 10:12 am

With few exceptions, this round of elections will be a clown car.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 10:19 am

Is Denton retiring? I think I saw a sign saying that Ganz is running for Department 13. Would not think that would be the best department to choose unless he believes he won’t be facing Denton.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 3:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I think his track record has proven it’s kind of irrelevant which department he runs for. The outcome will be the same.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 4:35 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Completely disagree. He was not able to wear judicial robes in those prior races which he can do this time.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 12:31 pm

So far, only Dept. 8 has more than one candidate.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 3:47 pm

The Public Servants apparently have nothing else to do file today

Austin Beaumont for Dept 8
Colleen Brown for Dept 24
Alexander Quagge (DA) files for Dept 28

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 4:15 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

is there a link to see whose filed in Vegas? Henderson justice court?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 4:26 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/elections/services/cf

But you have to select “2026” on that page to get the results for this filing.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 4:34 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

The link for all judicial offices statewide is above next to ” statewide judicial positions”. I will say DAs have the inside track to appointment but often are terrible money raisers because they have no well heeled clients so absent paying for Letizia, they can have some issues.

I also heard Dave Thomas is getting back into the judicial race business.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 5:04 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I wasn’t aware that Dave Thomas had ever gotten out of the judicial race business. Do tell.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 10:49 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Dave got sick. He cut back drastically on the last few cycles which left Letizia as the sole kingmaker.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 5, 2026 10:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous
Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 10:52 am
Reply to  Anonymous

If your bar number is 13938, you are too green to run for DC

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 11:09 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Is Israel running for re-election?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 4:01 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

He is not

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 4:06 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Given the LACSN connection (his wife is their “director of advocacy”), I think he’ll win.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 10:40 am

Only one department so far has a contested election. Come on people!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 10:50 am
Reply to  Anonymous

This was not true at the time that you posted it.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 10:58 am
Reply to  Anonymous

For EJDC .. yeah!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 11:45 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Come on civil bench bar!!! Do something and run!!!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 12:59 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Sounds like a disgruntled paralegal.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 1:13 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Some of us are bored with the DA/PD judicial candidates contest as it’s been the last few cycles.

Also, I am surprised no one is running against Forsberg in family court.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 12:25 pm

Of the top five judges per RJ Judging the Judges, 4 were former DA/PD. And two of them currently have more money left over in their coffers from previous elections than many raise. So please with the civil bar dislikes former DA/PDs when in reality they are funded by the civil bar way more than those with a civil background. It’s because former DA/PDs make decisions on motions, and particularly in trial. That’s something the civil bar loves. That’s why the DAs putting in will be just fine as far as raising money goes. I’m just surprised no PDs are jumping in (yet).

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 2:18 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Emerge, Emerge, Emerge

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 4:00 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I don’t think any of the top five are emerge graduates.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 1:36 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

2:18 – finally, someone who gets it. It’s less about being female that got all the judges the last cycle elected.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 8:22 pm

Alex McLeod filed against Joanna Kischner.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 6, 2026 8:24 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Hip Hip Hooray!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 9:52 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Absolutely not! Look Judge Kishner has stepped on my toes as much as anyone. But Alex McLeod cannot manage an arbitration caseload in a timely manner; the thought of her running a judicial docket is ridiculous. I know personally of at least 3 cases in which the ADR Commissioners have had to basically show cause her because she fails to rule on cases. I have known Alex for a long time; her unbridled desire to be a judge does not equate to being qualified or appropriate to be a judge.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 7, 2026 3:02 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Why wouldn’t she run against a man? Has she not learned her lesson running against Erika Mendoza last session?
Speaking of, where in the world is Terry Coffing? Speaking of unbridled desire to be a judge.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 8, 2026 1:09 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Are we sure McLeod isn’t trying to help Kishner out. Remember in years past some people file as running against someone and then after the deadline they drop out so suddenly that person has no opponent?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 12, 2026 1:35 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I think she is going to drop out to help out Kishner. They seem to be friends.

anonymous
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anonymous
January 7, 2026 3:12 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Putting aside this discussion of Judge Kishner’s seeming lack of broad-based popularity among the attorneys(which may have, at least partly, influenced the candidacy of this challenger) the real take away, from a political perspective, should be that Judge Kishner, in addition to the great fund-raising advantages and other advantages often enjoyed by most District Court incumbents serving on Civil or Criminal cases, will also greatly benefit from the gender advantage issue as many voters may assume, based on the first name, that Alex is a male.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 12, 2026 1:18 pm
Reply to  anonymous

Lol, 3:12. That is easily resolved by Alex using her full name.