Government and politics stories RJ readers should expect to read in 2026

The Las Vegas Review-Journal will continue covering a wide range of government and politics stories in 2026, including the local economy amid declining tax revenues, immigration policy, homelessness and food insecurity.

Here’s a sample of what readers could expect to read about in the coming months on top of everchanging breaking news.

Homelessness

After a one-year pause, the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care is bringing back its daylong point-in-time census that tracks the sheltered and unsheltered homeless population.

Federal funding for certain homelessness programs is dependent on the count, which is returning in January.

A 2024 snapshot of the homeless population determined that it had grown 20 percent compared with 2023.

The 7,906 sheltered and unsheltered people tallied that year was the highest since 2014, when the total was 9,417.

The census documented 4,202 people living on the streets, a 7 percent increase from the 3,912 locals counted the previous year.

There were 3,704 people counted in shelters compared with the 2,654 people counted in those circumstances in 2023.

Local economy

In 2025, Southern Nevada governments reported budget shortfalls amid declining tax revenues. The Review-Journal will closely follow the jurisdictions’ proposed budgets for fiscal year 2027, which goes into effect on July 1, to see where the finances start.

Open Clark County Commission seat

Clark County Commission District F’s seat is up for grabs in 2026 after Commissioner Justin Jones announced this year that he wasn’t running for re-election.

The race has attracted at least four candidates who have launched campaigns. They are Assemblymember Heidi Kasama, R-Las Vegas; former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairwoman Becky Harris; local businessman Albert Mack; and victims’ rights advocate Minddie Lloyd.

The two-week filing period opens in March and a primary is slated or June.

Immigration enforcement

The Review-Journal will continue to monitor federal immigration enforcement in Southern Nevada, and its consequences, as the Trump administration continues to work to fulfill Trump’s “mass deportations” campaign promise.

Food insecurity

Discussions about Nevada’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, unveiled that before the government shutdown — when benefits for about 500,000 state residents were temporarily paused — the valley had been experiencing an increase of food insecurity.

Beth Martino, Three Square president and CEO, said in October that the food bank had seen about a 16 percent increase in food need in the months before the shutdown.

A May report determined that there were 377,000 locals experiencing food insecurity in the valley, the nonprofit said.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.