The Stakes Have Never Been Higher

John Abel
Director of Governmental Affairs

Every election season, I write an article to our members asking for help and begging them to get involved in the election process because I believe citizens will listen to involved cops, especially since crime and public safety are always top issues for voters. The LVPPA and other members of the Public Safety Alliance of Nevada will have an endorsement process where we will vet and pick the best political candidates we believe will support the law enforcement profession. After our endorsement process is complete, instead of asking our members for involvement, I am going to require LVPPA Delegates to get involved in the political process by picking key Assembly and Senate races that we believe are instrumental in saving Governor Lombardo’s veto.

Once we identify the political races, LVPPA Delegates are required to bring other officers and walk the district of our endorsed candidate, speaking to citizens about why voting for police-endorsed candidates will help keep them safe.

Right now, Nevada Assembly Democrats hold a supermajority. If the Nevada Senate Democrats achieve supermajority in the Senate and keep the supermajority in Assembly, they will be able to override the governor’s veto, which would be very bad news.

I believe I did an excellent job lobbying on your behalf, but it was nice knowing that the governor had the ability to veto bills that were bad for our profession. The governor’s team has identified a number of races in the Assembly that they believe Republicans have the best chances at taking from Democrats, and the governor’s team has endorsed candidates that they believe can win in those races and save Governor Lombardo’s veto ability.

Saving his veto ability is a priority for me and the LVPPA, and it must be a priority for every law enforcement association in Nevada. Because of what is at stake, I am no longer asking for help — I am requiring it through our delegate program. Walking and knocking on doors in a candidate’s district are two of the most effective ways to impact a political race. The LVPPA will help provide the material and voter information needed to be successful.

Through our LVPPA PAC, we are going to also help support our endorsed candidates. Law enforcement officers, active or retired with their families, can get our endorsed candidates elected if we all go out and vote. You will see our endorsed candidate list on our socials, in the magazine, on our website and via email. I implore you to take this endorsement list to the polls with you and give it to your friends and family to use as well.

You can rest assured that anyone on that list has been vetted and asked tough questions about how they will support our profession and the rule of law. I am currently rewriting the candidate questionnaire, where they will be asked if they believe in consequences for breaking the law and how willing they are to vote in favor of laws that benefit law enforcement officers, just to name a few. Our process is not just a rubber stamp. We ask tough questions and hold candidates accountable. I have also met with several promising Republican candidates, who are much more viable than the previous year’s candidates, which is promising. I will continue to meet with candidates to discuss what our law enforcement priorities are from now until the election. You can trust that we will do all that we can to ensure only candidates who fully support law enforcement will get our coveted endorsement. If you have questions about the endorsement process or candidates in general, please feel free to email me at jabel@LVPPA.com.