Trio trying to replace outgoing Democrat in Assembly District 10

It’s a race that will likely be decided in the primary.

A veteran homeowners’ rights advocate, a youthful state lobbyist and a former Navy officer are the Democratic candidates vying for the open seat in Assembly District 10, which has almost twice as many registered Democrats than Republicans. Five-term Democratic incumbent Assemblyman Joe Hogan is retiring after representing the district since 2004.

Jonathan Friedrich, 68, who ran against Hogan in the 2012 primary election, is running this year on a similar platform: weakening the power of homeowner associations.

He was appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval in 2012 to the Common-Interest Communities and Condominium Hotels Commission, which oversees homeowner associations. His term ends in October.

He has also worked as an unpaid lobbyist on the issue.

“We still have” corruption in homeowner associations, Friedrich said. “That’s the problem. Nobody wants to touch it.”

Friedrich has lived in Las Vegas since 2003. If elected, he’s also interested in battling the rising cost of utilities, he said.

J.T. Creedon, 31, also has experience lobbying the Legislature. He worked as a legislative aide for a firm during the session last year, arguing for laws to improve schools, health care and renewable energy, he said.

Creedon comes from a local, working-class family, he said. The son of a teacher and a small-business owner, Creedon watched his parents lose their home during the recession after they were unable to overcome unexpected medical expenses, he said.

“As a student leader, I fought against cuts to education. Since then I’ve significantly broadened my horizons,” he said.

He was executive director for the Nevada Youth Coalition, a nonprofit organization, and hopes to improve education, health care and the economy.

Creedon said the citizens’ biggest concern is bringing businesses to the state that actually create jobs. He said Tesla Motors, which is considering Nevada for its $5 billion battery factory, is a perfect example.

Creedon and Friedrich will square off against Jesse “Jake” Holder, 50, who ran for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District seat in 2012. He lost in the primary to Democratic candidate John Oceguera.

Holder did not return a call from the Review-Journal seeking comment, but the former Naval officer wrote “I am clearly the most qualified candidate” on his campaign website.

“There are two other candidates. Both are fine, good people. But one is a young man with no real job or life experiences trying to become career politician and the other is an older guy focused on HOA issues,” he wrote.

The Democratic winner will face Republican candidate Shelly M. Shelton in November’s general election.

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com. Follow @blasky on Twitter.