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Eleven candidates vying for two newly open Assembly seats

Jackie Valley
Jackie Valley
IndyBlogLegislature
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Two newly vacant Assembly seats drew a total of 11 applicants, including several attorneys, a former assemblyman, a casino host, a union grievance specialist and a small-business owner.

Applications to Clark County were due at noon Monday for the open seats in District 10 and District 11, which need to be filled before the 2019 legislative session begins in February.

The District 10 seat became vacant after the Clark County Commission appointed Assemblyman Chris Brooks to the state Senate last week. He replaces state Sen. Tick Segerblom, who, in November, won election to the Clark County Commission.

The District 11 seat, meanwhile, opened up when Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz announced her resignation and her plans to run for Las Vegas City Council.

The Clark County Commission is expected to select appointees for those legislative positions on Tuesday. Brooks and Diaz are Democrats, so the applicants for their former Assembly seats must be, too, by state law. The two people appointed to those positions will serve until the November 2020 election.

The appointment process already has attracted some lobbying efforts. Two organizations affiliated with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in District 10 have thrown their support behind applicants Rochelle Nguyen and Nadia Hojjat.

Leaders of One APIA Nevada and South Asia Young Professionals Alliance released a joint statement Wednesday backing the two women, noting that there are no Asian American or Pacific Islander representatives in the state Legislature.

We have two qualified, remarkable candidates. Both of whom would make history and propel our state forward,” according to the joint statement. “We urge the State Assembly Caucus to endorse either Ms. Rochelle Nguyen or Ms. Nadia Hojjat to Assembly District 10.”

Here’s a full list of candidates who applied to both vacant Assembly seats:

Assembly District 10

  • Alison Brasier, attorney and founding partner of Hicks & Brasier law firm
  • Nadia Hojjat, chief deputy public defender in Clark County
  • Jesse “Jake” Holder, licensed mortgage loan officer and real-estate agent
  • Mara Callister Meservy, administrative assistant for the Nevada Society of CPAs
  • Rochelle Thuy Nguyen, attorney and owner of Nguyen & Lay law firm
  • Zenda M. Shepherd, executive casino host

Assembly District 11

  • Ace Acosta, crew member at Little Caesar’s Pizza and former canvasser for Fund Our Future
  • Douglas A. Bache, former assemblyman and retired Clark County School District employee
  • Abraham Camejo, small-business owner
  • Beatrice Angela Duran, grievance specialist with the Culinary Union
  • Mayra Salinas-Menjivar, legal services fellow at the UNLV Immigration Clinic
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