Outgoing assemblymember takes on lieutenant governor

Republican Lieutenant Gov. Stravos Anthony is looking to defend his seat against Democratic challenger Sandra Jauregui at a time when Democrats are feeling optimistic about their chances of flipping control of statewide seats.

In Nevada, the post is largely ceremonial with little day-to-day statutory authority – but if the sitting governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor is the first in line to lead the state.

That scenario has not played out since 1989 when Bob Miller took the job after Gov. Richard Bryan had been elected to the U.S. Senate. Before that, a lieutenant governor hadn’t assumed the duties of governor since 1945, when Vail Pittman became governor after Gov. Edward Carville was appointed to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat.

The more immediate duties of lieutenant governor — which commands an annual salary of $63,648 — include presiding over the state Senate, where they can cast tie-breaking votes, although opportunities to do that are exceedingly rare since the Nevada Senate has an odd number of members. The lieutenant governor also  leads commissions on tourism and outdoor recreation, and has a seat on several state boards.

Anthony’s newly created Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports has been at the center of his campaign for reelection. His only campaign ad touts his efforts to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports during his first term. 

His campaign suggested his task force led to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association in April 2025 approving a policy requiring high school students to play in sport divisions that align with the sex listed on their original birth certificate.

He sued the Nevada Commission on Ethics in July over their ruling that he violated state ethics laws by using state resources to promote the task force.

Throughout her campaign, Jauregui has criticized Anthony over those ethics violations and accused him of neglecting his statutory duties as chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism. 

“He’s falling short in every aspect of the job. He’s done nothing to help Nevada families. He’s done nothing to fulfill his constitutional and statutory assigned duty. Tourism is down on his watch. The only thing the current lieutenant governor has done is mount up ethics violations,” Jauregui told the Nevada Current in May.

Anthony did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. The Nevada Current interviewed Jauregui in May during the Democratic primary. 

Tourism and outdoor recreation

The lieutenant governor serves as the chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and the Advisory Board on Outdoor Recreation. 

Tourism in Nevada has experienced a significant downturn, a product of inflationary pressures brought on by tariffs and the Iran war, and Donald Trump’s acrimonious behavior with other nations, including Canada — long the largest source of international visitors to Las Vegas. Anthony’s website says he “helped lead a remarkable, post-pandemic rebound in our state’s leading economic industry.” 

On his website, Anthony acknowledged recent economic headwinds have impacted the state’s gaming and resort corridors, but said he believes Nevada “will finish the year on pace for continued growth while rural tourism and outdoor recreation remain resilient.”

Jauregui laid part of the blame for tourism decline on President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and tariff policies. 

“Our current lieutenant governor is doing nothing to stand up to this current administration to fight back on the policies that are actively harming Nevada. We have lost tourism from two of our biggest visiting countries, Canada and Mexico,” Jauregui said.

Jauregui said she aims to expand tourism beyond the Strip, downtown Reno, and Lake Tahoe. That work would include doing more to promote eco-tourism in the state, including Nevada’s dark skies week, Jauregui said.

Promoting eco-tourism would attract more people to rural Nevada and diversify the state’s tourism economy beyond gaming and entertainment in Reno and Las Vegas, said Jauregui. 

Transportation

The lieutenant governor serves as the vice chair of the Board of Transportation.

When it comes to transportation, Anthony has largely focused on eliminating high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes across the state. Since taking office, he’s worked with the Board of the Nevada Department of Transportation to limit operating hours for HOV lanes, and helped initiate a two-year study with the federal government to examine HOV lanes in certain areas.

Jauregui said if elected, she would prioritize working with local transportation authorities to understand their unique needs, including removing regulatory red tape to speed up infrastructure projects and create jobs. 

Economic development 

Nevada policy for attracting businesses and industry relies on providing tax abatements, credits, and other incentives to business, which are reviewed and approved by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). The lieutenant governor serves as one of 11 voting members on that board. 

Anthony told the Fernley Reporter that tax abatements can have a negative impact on the state through loss of tax revenue, but have more positive impact on local government by expanding the local tax base. 

Jauregui said Nevada should ensure that any company applying for tax abatements are “good corporate citizens” that support the community with good paying jobs. For data centers, Jauregui said tax abatements should be determined based on whether they are “sustaining their own energy and water systems” and “creating their own capacity.”

Jauregui said she also supports Nevada’s Assembly Joint Resolution 8, which would amend the Nevada State Constitution to establish a dedicated business court. She said the court would go a long way to attract businesses to the state beyond tax abatements.

Bipartisanship

Nevada is one of 17 U.S. states that independently elect their lieutenant governor, separate from the governor. The setup gives Nevada the opportunity to elect a governor and lieutenant governor from different political parties. 

Jauregui said she has a proven track record of working with Lombardo as an Assembly member. She pointed to her work as the lead legislator on Lombardo’s housing bill, Assembly Bill 540. 

“When it comes to working on policies that are in the best interest of Nevada families, I’m willing to work with anyone to get those policies across to the finish line, and I’ve proven that. I’ve done that in the legislature,” Jauregui said in May. 

Anthony has a history of working in nonpartisan roles. He represented Ward 4 on the Las Vegas City Council from 2009 to 2022, where he also served as the Mayor pro tempore for several years. He also previously served on the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents from 2003-2009.