Henderson resident Patchett appointed to fill Nevada Assembly vacancy

Jason Patchett is pictured in this Jan. 25, 2023, file photo at the Regional Justice Center. Patchett has been appointed to the Nevada Assembly. Photo by: Sun file photo

The Clark County Commission on Tuesday appointed Henderson resident Jason Patchett to the Nevada Assembly for District 19, filling the vacancy left by Republican former Assemblymember Toby Yurek’s resignation.

Patchett, also a Republican, will serve in the position until the next regular election in 2026. The commission approved the appointment in a 6-0 vote, with Commissioner Tick Segerblom absent.

“I am deeply honored by this appointment and the trust that goes with it. I, at the same time, recognize that I’ve ... been appointed to serve,” Patchett told. “I look forward to the opportunity to serve constituents in Assembly District 19 and I look forward to the opportunity to work with many folks across many different avenues of life.”

Yurek, a retired police officer turned lawyer and lawmaker, announced his resignation in October to accept a position in Gov. Joe Lombardo’s administration. According to a joint statement from Yurek and Lombardo, Yurek will serve as a policy adviser to the governor and as a member of a statewide finance committee.

In Nevada, vacancies in the Legislature typically remain unfilled until the next general election — unless the Legislature is scheduled to convene before then.

Because Lombardo called a special legislative session in early October, the Clark County Commission was required to fill the vacancy by appointing a replacement from the same political party. 

Patchett is no stranger to the Legislature. His 13-year-old son, Rex Patchett, was killed by a reckless driver outside Mannion Middle School in March 2022. Following the tragedy, Patchett and his family championed legislation during the 2023 legislative session that became known as Rex’s Law.

The bill increased the maximum prison sentence to 10 years for drivers traveling more than 50 miles per hour over the speed limit in a fatal crash.

Commissioner Jim Gibson praised Patchett for providing “remarkably good and sound counsel” on public works matters during his tenure at the Clark County District Attorney’s Civil Division. Gibson called Patchett an “extraordinarily talented fellow” and noted he has known him since childhood.

“He’s been now exposed to the things that happen in Clark County. He knows something more about the obstacles and the challenges that we face and the difficulties that arise when the legislators are trying to consider all of the different aspects of issues,” Gibson said. “I think that he can be helpful to us and hope that he will consider that a primary responsibility.”