Cannizzaro announces bid for Nevada attorney general

Nicole Cannizzaro, majority leader of the Nevada Senate, attends a Communities In Schools news conference at JD Smith Middle School Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas, announced today that she is running for attorney general in 2026, setting up what should be a competitive Democratic primary against State Treasurer Zach Conine.

“Our state is under attack: Donald Trump, Elon Musk and big corporations all trying to rip us off, take away our rights and make life harder,” Cannizzaro said in a campaign ad. “As a prosecutor who stared down gangs and got criminals off our streets, I don’t scare easily.”

Cannizzaro is running on some of the same issues she tackled in the Legislature, including protecting women’s reproductive rights and children’s safety online. She sponsored legislation signed into law during the 2025 Nevada Legislature that bans AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

Cannizzaro’s campaign website highlights her background in public safety. The majority leader first joined the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in 2011 and was named chief deputy district attorney in its gang unit.

Running as a “bipartisan problem solver who brings people together,” Cannizzaro’s website touts endorsements from unions representing Nevada firefighters as well as government and electrical workers.

Sen. Fabian Doñate, D-Las Vegas, has already come out in support of his colleague, calling her the “fiercest fighter I know” in a social media post along with the hashtag “TeamCannizzaro.”

She would also be picking up where current Attorney General Aaron Ford, now running to unseat Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, left off on limiting the impacts of President Donald Trump’s policies.

Cannizzaro noted on her website that she’s been sounding the alarm as the majority leader on how the president’s tax policies will hurt Nevadans.

“I’m running for Attorney General to keep us safe, protect our rights, and fight for a fairer economy for everyone,” Cannizzaro wrote online.

The only Republican running is Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian, who announced his bid in May. Tarkanian is the son of the legendary UNLV basketball coach, Jerry Tarkanian.