Challenger raises 4 times more money than incumbent in Las Vegas Justice Court race

A deputy public defender who has practiced law for less than a decade has raised close to four times as much money as the incumbent judge she’s trying to unseat in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Harmony Thames Letizia, daughter of marketing veteran Tom Letizia, has received nearly $159,000 in cash and in-kind contributions for the Department 3 race. The largest contribution, $5,000, came from one of the owners of Planet Hyundai, a client of her father’s, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Nevada secretary of state’s office on Friday.

The candidate also has received in-kind advertising services from her father, whose experience includes running political campaigns, including those of former and current mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman.

Harmony Letizia, 34, has received endorsements from both of the Goodmans. Fundraisers at Piero’s Italian Cuisine, which her grandfather Freddie Glusman owns, and Oscar’s Steakhouse, the namesake of Oscar Goodman, also were listed as in-kind contributions to her campaign.

As of Friday, contributions for incumbent Janiece Marshall totaled $42,025, short of both Harmony Letizia and a third candidate, Sean P. Connell, who raised $66,280, according to campaign reports.

Harmony Letizia said her own hard work on her campaign helped swell her coffers.

“Having been born and raised here, I have a lot of connections throughout the community, and I’ve done a lot of work in the community,” she said. “I’ve made a lot of really great relationships. They’re excited about me as a candidate.”

But Marshall, wrapping up her first six-year term, has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney, and Connell has been practicing law in Nevada for more than 16 years. Harmony Letizia was admitted to the Nevada bar nearly seven years ago and the California bar about a year before that.

Nevada law requires justice of the peace candidates to be licensed attorneys for five years before running for office.

Marshall, 53, has practiced both criminal and civil law, while Harmony Letizia has spent her career with the Clark County public defender’s office.

“She’s been an attorney as long as I’ve been a judge, which doesn’t make her a bad attorney, but she doesn’t have the experience I do,” Marshall said. “I hope that people look at experience and the value I bring to the job.”

In her current role, Harmony Letizia handles cases at the Justice Court and District Court levels.

“While I may have less years practicing law, I have more experience in Justice Court than either one of (my opponents) combined,” she said.

Connell, 41, has sought technologically advanced campaign strategies to help close the money gap. He’s working on a mobile app centered on his qualifications that also would give voters information about upcoming political events and links to news stories.

“I have to look at alternatives and try and be judicious about how I spend my money,” he said.

He questioned whether Harmony Letizia’s lack of experience with civil cases meant that she would be “learning on the job” if elected.

“Is there someone who has practiced six or seven years who is a better choice than someone who has practiced more than 16 years?” Connell said. “I think it’s beneficial to have experience in more than one area of law. … I’m willing to put my resume up against theirs and people coming to the conclusion that I am the best choice.”

Harmony Letizia said she has obtained the support of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, a group whose clients are frequently involved in civil matters.

Marshall admits that Harmony Letizia’s family name and fundraising chops are tough to overcome, so she spends as much time as she can going door to door. She also attends town hall meetings and speaks to senior citizen groups.

Both Harmony Letizia and Connell pointed to Marshall’s low approval ratings in Las Vegas Review-Journal polls in the past few years.

“I’ve always believed in serving,” Harmony Letizia said. “And I always knew I wanted to serve on the bench. But I didn’t take the decision of which department to run in lightly. Everybody who appears in that department deserves better.”

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find @randompoker on Twitter. Data editor Adelaide Chen contributed to this report.