FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge regarding statewide 2026 Election Endorsements:
Culinary Union has released statewide endorsements ahead of the 2026 Nevada Election. Early Voting is Saturday, October 17 - Friday, October 30. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Culinary Union's statewide 2026 Endorsement Guide is also available here.
U.S. House of Representatives: Dina Titus (CD1), Teresa Benitez-Thompson (CD2), Susie Lee (CD3), and Steven Horsford (CD4) *Culinary Union member*.
Governor: Aaron Ford.
Secretary of State: Cisco Aguilar.
State Treasurer: Tya Mathis-Coleman.
Attorney General: Nicole Cannizzaro.
State Senate: Edgar Flores (SD2), Marilyn Dondero Loop (SD8), Melanie Scheible (SD9), Fabian Donate (SD10), Julie Pazina (SD12), Richard "Skip" Daly (SD13), and James Ohrenschall (SD21).
State Assembly: Alexis Esparza (AD1), Kamilah Bywaters (AD2), Lisa Cole (AD4), Brittney Miller (AD5), Jovan Jackson (AD6), Cameron Miller (AD7), Duy Nguyen (AD8), Ryan Hampton (AD9), Venise Karris (AD10), Cinthia Moore (AD11), Max Carter II (AD12), Erica Mosca (AD14), Miguel Davila (AD15), Cecelia Gonzalez (AD16), Linda Hunt (AD17) *Culinary Union member*, Venicia Considine (AD18), David Orentlicher (AD20), Elaine Marzola (AD21), Shenea Booth (AD22), Erica Roth (AD24), Selena La Rue Hatch (AD25), Heather Goulding (AD27), Reuben D'Silva (AD28), Alex Pereszlenyi (AD29), Natha Anderson (AD30), Neal Schwartz (AD31), Hanadi Nadeem (AD34), Joseph Spica (AD35) *Culinary Union member*, Shea Backus (AD37), and Vinny Spotleson (AD41).
County Assessor: Tamicka Washington.
County Clerk: Lynn Goya.
County Commissioner: Richard "Tick" Segerblom (District E), Becky Harris (District F), and James Gibson (District G).
County Recorder: Tanya Flanagan.
County Treasurer: Joaquin Ken Diaz.
Public Administrator: Stephanie Itkin-Goodman.
Constable: Chad Betts (North Las Vegas Township).
Board of Regents: Patrick Villa (District 2) and Moises "Mo" Denis (District 5).
School Board Trustee: Brenda Zamora (District D), Robert Hutchinson (District F), and Linda Cavazos (District G).
Las Vegas City Council: Luke McCarthy III (Ward 2) and Nancy Brune (Ward 6).
Henderson City Council: Michelle Romero (Mayor).
North Las Vegas Mayor: Scott Black.
North Las Vegas City Council: Sherry Strothers and Esmeralda Villeda (Ward 1) and Ida Zeiler (Ward 3).
District Court Judge, Eighth Judicial District: Tracy Hibbetts (Dept. 5), Jessica Peterson (Dept. 8), Michelle Leavitt (Dept. 12), Adam Ganz (Dept. 13), Jennifer Schwartz (Dept. 17), Alex Hubert (Dept. 21), Jasmin Lilly-Spells (Dept. 23), Jessica Goodey (Dept. 26), Noreen DeMonte (Dept. 28), Alex Quagge (Dept. 29), Joshua Santeramo (Dept. 30), Joanna Kishner (Dept. 31), Gwynneth Smith (Family Division, Dept. D), Charles Hoskin (Family Division, Dept. E), Kerri Maxey (Family Division, Dept. N), Mary Perry (Family Division, Dept. P), Marilyn Caston (Family Division, Dept. R), Randall Forman (Family Division, Dept. S), and Michele "Shell" Mercer (Family Division, Dept. Z).
Justice of the Peace: John Cory (Henderson, Dept. 4).
Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge: Amanda Pellizzari (Dept. 1) and Jessica Green (Dept. 2).
Henderson Municipal Court Judge: Gary Thompson (Dept. 1).
Washoe County District Attorney: Wes Duncan.
Washoe County Public Administrator: Nicole Klitzke.
Washoe County Commissioner: Marie Rodriguez (District 2), Mariluz Garcia (District 3), and Brian Wadsworth and Rob Pierce (District 5).
District Court Judge, Second Judicial District: Edmund "Joe" Gorman (Dept. 1) and Lance White (Dept. 13, Family Court).
Washoe County School Board Trustee: Sheena R. Harvey (District F).
Reno Mayor: Kate Marshall.
Reno City Council: Matt Johnson (Ward 2) and Meghan Ebert (Ward 4).
Reno Municipal Court Judge: Angela "Angie" Gianoli (Dept. 1).
Sparks City Council: Ed Lawson (Mayor), Dian VanderWell (Ward 2), and Adam R. Mayberry (Ward 4).
Nye County District Court Judge, Fifth Judicial District: Jason Earnest (Dept. 2).
Nevada Ballot Questions:
Question 6 (Women's Rights): Yes.
Question 7 (Require Voter ID): No.
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 120,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latino/a, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 90 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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