A Carson City judge heard arguments but did not issue a ruling on a lawsuit seeking to block the Green Party from the 2024 Nevada presidential ballot.
Carson City District Court Judge Kristin Luis on Friday heard arguments from attorneys representing the minor political party and the Nevada Democratic Party — which filed the lawsuit — but opted not to issue a ruling from the bench.
“Time is of the essence,” Luis acknowledged. “I would have to imagine that whichever way I decide somebody’s going to appeal.”
The Green Party, which has not been on a Nevada general election ballot since 2008, had appeared to qualify for the state’sballot in mid-June with about 15,000 valid signatures, well more than the requirement of roughly 10,000 valid signatures.
Aug. 27 is the last day a qualified minor political party can file a certificate of nomination to place candidates for the offices of president and vice president on Nevada’s presidential ballot.
But Nevada Democrats quickly filed a lawsuit seeking to block the party’s efforts to land on the ballot, saying they had reviewed a limited number of signatures via a public records request and found most of the signatures were invalid. The lawsuit claimed that some of the gathered signatures had been obtained before its petition to get on the ballot was approved and should be considered invalid.
The possibility of the Green Party’s inclusion as a qualified third party candidate on the 2024 ballot could potentially aid Republican former President Donald Trump by pulling dissatisfied left-leaning voters away from the Democratic Party in what is expected to be Nevada’s close presidential race.
During the Friday hearing, Todd Bice, who represents the Nevada Democratic Party, argued that the minor party’s petition contained the wrong affidavit language, saying that the county clerks who validated the signatures were unaware of this until after they had validated the signatures.
Bice said the Green Party’s petition appeared to use the affidavit language for initiative petitions, not minor parties, which omits a sentence stating the circulator believes all signees were registered voters in the county they reside.
However, the affidavit language used by the party is the same as that recommended by the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office in its guide for minor political parties to qualify for the ballot.
Greg Ott, an attorney with the attorney general’s office speaking on behalf of the secretary of state’s office, said during the hearing that the guide is not legal advice, and there are reminders within it to consult state law for the most accurate information.
Kevin Benson, an attorney representing the Green Party, rebutted Bice and said that the missing statement is already accounted for in the verification process. He added that the secretary of state declared it to be qualified, and the plaintiffs did not produce evidence that enough signatures were invalid to not qualify for the ballot.
“The Green Party made a good faith effort to comply with the law,” Benson said, adding that “circulating a petition is a human endeavor,” acknowledging that there will be mistakes, but that’s not any indication that anything nefarious took place.
In response, Bice said the mistakes were not human error, but “shenanigans” and signature-gatherers were not following the law.
“You cannot claim you substantially comply with law, because somehow you can just assume the signatures are valid,” he said.
In 2016, a federal judge denied ballot access to the party after it had not gathered enough valid signatures in time.
Minor parties must submit candidates for president and vice-president to the secretary of state’s office by the last Tuesday in August. The party has not yet submitted a candidate for the November ballot, but its former presidential candidate, Jill Stein, is running again this year.
Stein, who is polling about 1 percent in Nevada, called the lawsuit “outrageous” in a video posted to her campaign website.
Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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