Assembly District 15

The next Assembly representative in District 15 is likely to be determined in the June 14 primary.

And because of a more than 2-to-1 registered voter advantage in the district, the person is likely to be a Democrat.

The incumbent is facing opposition from a candidate who held the seat two decades ago.

Three-term incumbent Elliot Anderson is an attorney with Haines & Krieger and has lived in Nevada for 10 years.

“Because of the military, I’m a hard worker and a no excuses guy,” said Anderson, a Marine veteran.

Lou Toomin is retired but most recently was a public information officer for controversial former Las Vegas Constable John Bonaventura. Toomin, who has lived in Nevada for 45 years, won Assembly District 15 in 1992 but lost re-election after one term.

Toomin in 2015 opposed a $1.5 billion tax increase — passed in the 2015 Legislature and the biggest in state history — because he felt it was too hard on small businesses.

Toomin, a former pool construction company owner, describes himself as the most conservative Nevada Democrat.

“It wouldn’t take much to push me out and become an ‘R,’” Toomin said.

If elected, Toomin said he would work to tie teacher pay to student performance.

Anderson, who voted in favor of the 2015 tax hike, has said the state’s friendly tax climate will need to be paired with an educated workforce to draw businesses. He plans to introduce legislation to reform the higher education system after Las Vegas Review-Journal articles revealed that the Nevada System of Higher Education misled lawmakers on a funding formula study.

Both candidates said they want more cops on the streets to address the crime spike.

Nevada secretary of state records show Anderson raised about $51,100 in campaign contributions and spent about $45,000 in 2015. Toomin said he has not raised or spent any campaign money this year.

The Democratic nominee will face Republican Stan Vaughan in the general election.

Contact Alexander S. Corey at acorey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0270. Find @acoreynews on Twitter.