LV attorney leading in high court primary

After a back-and-forth race that saw three front-runners as votes were tallied, Las Vegas attorney Kris Pickering pulled ahead late in the evening for Supreme Court Seat B.

With all of the ballots counted, Pickering, a Las Vegas attorney, received a little more than 25 percent of the vote. Deborah Schumacher, a Family Court judge in Washoe County, garnered 24 percent. They will face off in November's general election

Don Chairez, a former District Court judge, ran a close third.

Nancy Allf, who led early in the evening, trailed the field, though not by much.

"I'm really encouraged by the statewide support that the voters have shown," Pickering said. "That has been the most heartening thing for me."

Pickering has appeared not only before state and federal judges, but the Nevada Supreme Court and the U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals.

On the campaign trail, she referred to herself as the "meat and potatoes" candidate whose sole goal was to handle cases and uphold Nevada's laws.

During her campaign, Schumacher worked to convince statewide voters that she was the most qualified candidate because she was the only sitting judge in the race. Schumacher has served on the Family Court bench in Washoe County for more than a decade.

She told voters she was the only candidate who could be judged not by words during campaign time but by track record and ratings.

"I think it's better to have had the experience of living through that and showing the public you have a backbone and you have courage," Schumacher said during a recent interview. "You're not just a reed in the wind."

Chairez was a District Court judge between 1994 and 1998 and co-authored a bill that favored property owners: the People's Initiative to Stop the Taking of our Land.

Allf entered the race after longtime Supreme Court Justice Bill Maupin announced that he would not run for re-election.

Allf said she received calls from attorneys across the state encouraging her to fill Maupin's seat.