The Mesquite Conservatives Group held a meet-and-greet for conservative candidates running for office on Saturday, May 16, at Annie’s Place. The building and grounds were packed with inquiring minds wanting to meet the candidates. The Women’s League of Voters also held a forum for primary candidates running for City Council Seat 1.  

Janis Garrett and Annie Black greeted the visitors at Annie’s Place from 1 to 3 p.m. Garrett introduced the 13 candidates who came to campaign one-on-one. They each had three minutes to speak. The candidates were Mary Perry, running for Department P judge; Robert Kurth, running for judge for Department 13; Sharron Angle, running for secretary of state; Jeff Carter, running for state treasurer; Dr. Howel Shaw, running for county clerk; Ron Shackelford, running for Mesquite City Council; Mike Murphy, running for Clark County administrator; Mark Sprinkle, running for Clark County administrator; Rick McIntire, running for City Council; Dominic Oliveto, running for City Council; Gary Elgort, running for Virgin Valley Water District Board; Cody Whipple, running for Congress, District 4, sent a representative; and Patricia Marr, running for Department D judge.

All the candidates were engaged with the crowd, and everyone enjoyed the hot dogs and desserts.

Janis Garrett, leader of the Mesquite Conservatives, organizes these gatherings of the political leaders. The Mesquite Conservatives will hold a grand opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for the Republican Campaign Office at Annie’s Place, located on the corner of Mesquite Boulevard and Sandhill, on Monday, May 18, 2026. There will be campaign materials, and you may register to vote there.

At 4 p.m., the Women’s League of Voters held a forum at the Mesquite Library for the primary candidates running for Mesquite City Council.

The event was organized by Vicki Samuelson, Jim Parsons, Connie Gifford, Jo Ann Brown and Becky Peterson. The community room was overflowing with interested parties, and some had to leave, as there were over 75 people – the limit the fire department allows.  

The three candidates running for seat one — Ron Shackelford, John Rosen and incumbent Karen Fielding — gave opening and closing statements. The questions then came from the audience. They were asked about workforce housing, and all agreed it is needed, but all were also unsure how to get it. Fielding said a person needs to have two minimum-wage jobs to afford rent or housing. Shackelford said, “The city needs to sell a plot of land cheap enough for a builder to build a $200,000 house on it.” Rosen said, “Workforce housing is what it implies: for people who are working. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough lower-priced housing here but must plan a way to get it here.”

They were asked about the city’s water supply, and they all agreed that we have enough water to support a population of 50,000. They were asked if they would approve a data center being built here. Each of them had an emphatic “no” to the data center, agreeing that it would ruin our small town.

Vicki Samuelson from the Women’s League of Voters said they are planning to have another candidate gathering four weeks before the primary, with the day to be announced.