More on the Nevada GOP’s Fouled-Up Pre-Primary Endorsement Process

(Chuck Muth) – As I wrote in the last Muth’s Truths, if the rumors I heard about Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo’s participation in the Nevada Republican Party’s pre-primary endorsement process were inaccurate, I’d correct the record.

For the record, I’ve now heard from members of the Nevada GOP’s Star Chamber and Mr. Lombardo’s campaign, both of which confirm the sheriff’s participation in requesting the endorsement and submitting to an oral interview…

“For your info, Joe Lombardo did participate in the full endorsement process,” wrote someone who was directly involved.  “I do agree that it was a very flawed system and very unfair to candidates and Central Committee members.”

Another Star Chamber member wrote…

“Every candidate that filed for office was contacted AFTER filing closed and was asked to participate – including (U.S. Senate candidate Danny) Tarkanian, who declined to participate.”

The response from Tarkanian’s camp…

“He’s lying.  The only reason Danny was aware of it was because of your email on the situation.”

The same Star Chamber member also wrote…

“You may be interested to learn that signing the tax pledge was a significant grading factor when evaluating candidates.”

I saw a copy of the questionnaire.  No mention of the Tax Pledge on it.

Another candidate forwarded me the email they received in February confirming receipt of their request for consideration.  The email read…

“Thank you for your interest in participating in the Nevada Republican Party’s pre-primary endorsement process. This correspondence is a notification that we received your request to participate. Soon, the nominating committee will be sending written interview questions specific to your race for completion. Following the written interview portion of the process, the committee will schedule an oral interview via zoom.”

That was the last the candidate heard from the party.  Never received the questionnaire.  Was never scheduled for the interview – even after the candidate followed up to ask what was going on.

I’m trying to figure out how the party could have possibly screwed this up any worse.  Nothing comes to mind.

The process was confusing, badly managed and unfairly administered.  The party leaders tried to rig the endorsements for chosen candidates, and it backfired on them “bigly.”

“If words of command are not clear and distinct,” taught the great Chinese general, Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, “then the general is to blame.”

This fuster-cluck was not the fault of the candidates.  It was the fault of the party’s general, Chairman Mike McDonald, and his Star Chamber politburo.  He can try to blame the members of the nominating committee or the Central Committee for screwing it up, but the buck stops with him.

And it’s not “Monday morning quarterbacking” for me to criticize what went down since I’ve been writing and talking about this for YEARS and asked the chairman, repeatedly, to be involved in developing the process.

He just shined me on.

This mess could have easily been avoided.  The party’s leaders blew it.  Again.  Time for new leadership.

Simon Sez

Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Simon is flailing away at fellow primary opponent Joey Gilbert, accusing him not being involved in the successful lawsuit in which the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals forced Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak to fully re-open the state’s churches ten days before Christmas in 2020.

Simon’s allegation is total bull-schlitz.

Even though Joey’s name is not on the official court documents – as he hadn’t yet been approved to petition the 9^th Circuit – his co-counsel, GOP attorney general candidate Sigal Chattah, confirms that it was Joey who actually drafted the brief that was submitted to the court.

And she is none too pleased with Simon’s false allegation.  Here’s the email she sent to Nick Maier, Simon’s campaign manager…

“I have been advised on numerous occasions and by multiple sources now that you are disparaging my involvement in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain v Sisolak Et Al, claiming that Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain lost…and that Joey and I are lying about the case.

“At this juncture, regardless of Fred’s issues with Joey in a Gubernatorial race, you are now disparaging my reputation as an attorney, which I do not take lightly.

“You have until the close of business to retract and issue an apology regarding your malicious disparagement and defamation per se.  If I do not receive one, I will immediately initiate an action against both You and Fred for defamation per se. Your immediate attention to this matter is recommended.”

Methinks the campaign should take Sigal’s recommendation, lest they find themselves hanging from a crane.

The Laxalt Laxative

From James DeHaven, Reno Gazette-Journal…

“(Adam) Laxalt…failed to break the 50 percent approval threshold needed for a (Nevada Republican Party) endorsement.  (Sam) Brown, a battle-scarred U.S. Army veteran from Reno, won over nearly 80 percent of the 323 members who weighed in on the U.S. Senate primary.

“That’s an impressive result for Brown, who has waged a grassroots-funded upstart campaign aimed squarely at Laxalt, the Republican establishment’s preferred choice to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

“Brown has just about kept up with Laxalt’s fundraising pace, all while winning support from megadonor Don Ahern, a Las Vegas businessman and longtime Trump ally.  Ahern in October told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he wants Trump to switch his endorsement from Laxalt to Brown. Trump continues to support Laxalt.

“Each of the GOP candidates topped Cortez Masto in recent head-to-head polling conducted by Suffolk University/Reno Gazette Journal.”

From Jacob Solis, Nevada Independent…

“(I)n an unexpected turnabout, Laxalt is facing a serious primary challenger. Sam Brown, a former Army captain and business owner, has emerged as a well-funded alternative candidate, touting his conservative credentials as a fresh alternative to a candidate like Laxalt…

“In the months since he launched his Senate bid last summer, he has become a surprise dark horse, fueled in no small part by social media, support from GOP mega-donor Don Ahern, and a Fox News bump, and funded by a vastly larger grassroots organization than observers predicted in 2021. …

“Brown has secured an increasingly large share of support from within Nevada’s Republican Party over the last few months, and over the weekend, received the formal endorsement of the state GOP with a vote of 258-65. Laxalt, meanwhile, did not receive an endorsement after delegates deadlocked 163-163.”

Quick Hits

* Sam Brown’s U.S. Senate campaign released a new website slamming his GOP primary opponent, Adam “Endorsed by Trump” Laxalt (drink!) pointing out Laxalt’s previous support for a “red flag” gun-control law in Nevada and his failure to adequately tackle voting fraud during his four years as Nevada’s attorney general.  You can get the details by clicking here.

* The political food fight between conservative Sigal Chattah (disclaimer: a client) and moderate Tisha Black in the GOP primary for attorney general is moving to DEFCON 2.  Yesterday, Chattah released a new ad slamming Black for, among other things, donating generously over the years to Democrats such as Steve Sisolak and Harry Reid.  You can watch it by clicking here.

* The scheduled debate tomorrow morning between Chattah and Black is gonna be LIT – if Black shows up, that is.  The debate is being hosted by Sam Shad on Nevada Newsmakers and *hopefully* will be posted on their website by sometime tomorrow afternoon.  Stock up on your popcorn!

Election ’22 Update

* Our friend and conservative warrior Niger Innis, head of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), has endorsed Guy Nohra in the Nevada GOP gubernatorial primary.  A good “get” for Guy (pronounced “ghee”).

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“If there was a drinking game where you’d have to do a shot every time Adam (Laxalt) and his campaign supporters say ‘Endorsed by Trump,’ we’d all have to join Alcoholics Anonymous!” – Liberty Watch Magazine

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views and blogs at MuthsTruths.com