Nevada
Nevada county reverses controversial vote and certifies two recounts while legal action looms
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Commissioners in Nevada’s second most populous county certified the results of two local recounts on Tuesday, reversing course on a controversial vote against certification that spurred legal action and put Washoe County in unchartered legal territory.
The 4-1 decision overturns last week’s vote against certifying election recount results from June’s primary in the politically mixed swath of northern Nevada, which includes Reno. The rare move had potential implications for how the November elections could play out in one of the nation’s most important swing counties.
Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford are still waiting for the state Supreme Court to address a petition they filed last week that seeks to confirm the legal obligations of county commissioners to certify election results. While it is unclear if or when the court will take that up, a ruling could set precedent and apply to county commissions statewide who refuse to certify results in November.
Aguilar had said that the circumstances of last week’s vote could set “a dangerous precedent” that undermines the confidence of voters.
Moments before Tuesday’s redo of the vote, the county’s chief deputy district attorney, Mary Kandaras, recommended that the commissioners certify the vote to follow state law.
Once seen as a mundane and ministerial task, election certification has become a pressure point since the 2020 election. During the midterms two years later, a scenario similar to what is unfolding in Washoe County played out in New Mexico after that state’s primary, when a rural county delayed certification of the results and relented only after the secretary of state appealed to the state’s supreme court.
Two Republican Washoe County commissioners, Jeanne Herman and Mike Clark, have consistently voted against certifying results and are supported by the wider far-right movement within the county that promotes election conspiracy theories.
But on Tuesday, Clark apologized to his constituents before changing his vote in favor of certification. He said he made the vote after being advised that the commission’s certification is not discretionary. He said his vote came “under extreme duress under the threat of both my position, and prosecution.” Throughout the meeting, he doubled down on his mistrust of the county’s election tallies.
“I’m not going to call it a vote, because it isn’t a vote,” he said before voting in favor of certifying the recounts. “We’re compelled and we have to.”
Republican Commissioner Clara Andriola, who the far-right movement had targeted in the primaries, also reversed course on Tuesday. She has often been the swing vote in election votes – rejecting the label of election denier and thanking the county elections department, while alleging that several “hiccups” in the process called for more governmental bodies to look at county elections processes.
On Tuesday, Andriola said that she has more recently met with the county’s interim registrar of voters, who gave her more confidence in how elections are run in Washoe County. She also spoke with the county district attorney’s office, who she said made it clear that the commission’s duty is to certify election results without discretion.
“Our responsibility is to follow the law,” Andriola said.
The local far-right movement has been on full display at commission meetings, where conspiracy theories about voting machines and distrust of election administrators have become a mainstay during the commission’s public comment sections and have led to harassment and high turnover in the local election office the past four years.
Amidst the rapid election staff turnover, the county elections department has also made certain administrative mistakes, like sending mail ballots to voters who had opted out of receiving them and misprinting certain local sample ballots, though none that affect tabulation.
On Tuesday, most commenters urged the commissioners to not certify the results. Some repeated false claims of stolen elections, broken machines and a “cabal” within the county that undermines elections. Others called for a hand recount or a complete redo of the election.
One commenter printed out pictures of city and county employees that she accused of corruption. Several times, commission chair Alexis Hill threatened to go into a recess when public comments were interrupted or delved into calling out individuals, rather than the board itself. A few commenters had urged commissioners to certify the vote.
“Stand your ground, stay the course. You showed backbone last week. Don’t lose it now,” said Bruce Parks, the chairman of the Washoe GOP that falsely alleged Joe Biden did not win the 2020 election.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.
Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.
“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.
Book tour stop
The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.
Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.
It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.
“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”
He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.
“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”
That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.
“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”
‘You’re giving us a voice’
Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.
“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”
The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.
“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”
The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.
Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.
Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.
“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”
Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.
Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.
“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.
Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.
The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.
What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.
For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.
Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.
Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.
Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.
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