‘Anybody should think twice before challenging me’: Wolfson, running unopposed, has a war chest

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson is an incumbent running for re-election unopposed, but if someone chooses to challenge him, he has a war chest at the ready.

Wolfson raised $1.08 million in 2025, according to a report filed with the Nevada secretary of state’s office earlier this month. The filing also reported cash on hand of $1.4 million.

That money “lets potential challengers be aware that I intend to win this campaign, that I intend to continue to do the good work on behalf of the Clark County DA’s office and that anybody should think twice before challenging me because I think it would be an extremely uphill battle,” Wolfson said in a Thursday interview.

His donors this cycle include prominent attorneys and entities linked to the gaming industry. The official filing period for candidates in the district attorney race does not occur until March.

Some of the donors

Some donations are also tied to well-known figures who have been convicted of crimes: the wife of boxer Mike Tyson, who was convicted of rape in a 1992 case, gave $10,000 and Billy Walters, a Las Vegas businessman and gambler convicted in an insider trading case whose sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump at the end of his first term, gave $20,000 through two companies.

The maximum contribution an individual or entity is allowed to give is $10,000, according to the secretary of state’s office.

“I think having a good, strong DA is one of the most important things we can have,” Walters said in a phone interview.

A publicist for Mike Tyson did not respond to a request for comment. Tyson has maintained his innocence in the rape case.

Wolfson said he has “a casual friendship” with the Tysons.

“I believe in giving second chances when appropriate and I believe in redemption,” he said. “The fact that Mr. Tyson suffered a conviction many, many, many years ago, I put that as something he did in his past. He paid a price and he’s so much today a good citizen in this community that I consider him a friend and I applaud the good work that he’s doing.”

Wolfson said he and Walters both support the organization HOPE for Prisoners, which helps formerly incarcerated people re-enter society.

“He was punished, he served his time and he paid a price to society, but that’s just a small, little fraction of the man’s life,” he said.

Gaming industry contributors include the MGM-related entities Aria, Excalibur and MGM Resorts International, which gave a total of $30,000, and the Derek J. Stevens Trust, which shares an address with Stevens’ downtown casino Circa and gave $10,000.

“I think they recognize good government,” Wolfson said of casino donors. “I think they recognize now more than ever in this toxic political environment that we’re experiencing that, as I said before, stability is important.”

Crime is down in Clark County overall, he said, and he attributes the decrease to the work of his office in collaboration with law enforcement.

Attorney contributors

Prominent defense lawyer David Chesnoff gave $10,000 himself and $10,000 through the entity “David Z. Chesnoff, Chartered.” His wife, Diana Chesnoff, donated $10,000 as well.

Chesnoff is often the attorney of choice for public figures and professional athletes who get in trouble in Las Vegas.

He currently represents Tom Alexandrovich, an Israeli cybersecurity official arrested as part of a child sex sting.

In another high-profile case, he defended former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who received three to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony DUI resulting in death charge and a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter. Ruggs had crashed his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray into the back of 23-year-old Tina Tintor’s SUV on Nov. 2, 2021, killing her and her dog.

Chesnoff said he and Wolfson are longtime friends.

“I find him to have integrity and I believe that the people that work under him, because of his leadership, are professional, and that’s what I want to see in doing my job,” the defense lawyer said.

In the Ruggs case, he said, he and his law partner Richard Schonfeld raised “serious legal issues” that led to the resolution of the case.

Schonfeld, who gave Wolfson $10,000 through “Richard A. Schonfeld Chartered,” said he finds the district attorney “conscientious, hardworking and professional.”

“He has created an office where his deputies study the cases and have dialogue with defense lawyers with an eye towards appropriate conclusions and that is the type of person that should be in the district attorney’s position,” he said.

Wolfson said defense attorneys appreciate him for his accessibility, which they receive even if they do not contribute to his campaign.

“It’s not an amount of money that gets access,” he said.

Other attorneys were also generous.

Personal injury attorney Adam Kutner gave $10,000. The entity Adam S. Kutner Attorney At Law donated another $10,000.

Steve Dimopoulos, another personal injury lawyer, also gave $10,000, plus an additional $10,000 through his firm.

‘Donors like to support winners’

Tom Letizia, the longtime political consultant running Wolfson’s campaign, said the campaign contributions reflect the district attorney’s achievements and “a broad range of support.”

“People love Steve Wolfson,” said Letizia. “He’s done a wonderful job. He’s helped keep our community safe and we’re seeing the result of that in his fundraising effort.”

UNLV political science professor Kenneth Miller said the easiest way to win an election is to run without a credible opponent.

Having a lot of money heading into an election can scare potential challengers away.

“What big war chests do is they deter entry,” he said.

Miller added: “Donors like to support winners and so with $1 million-plus cash on hand at this point, that should put him in a very good spot.”

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X. The Associated Press contributed to this report.