More than two-dozen Nevadans had affirmed their candidacies to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei in the 2026 elections by Friday’s filing deadline.

The 27 congressional hopefuls in Northern Nevada were just a part of a long list of 1,111 people seeking office in local, state and federal midterm elections across the state.

Completing the paperwork — and paying a fee between $30 and $300 — allowed candidates to clear a major hurdle.

Yet, it’s only a first step, and not all of them will advance after the June 9 primaries narrows the field.

Nonpartisan municipal elections with more than two candidates can result in an outright winner if one of them gets more than 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, the top two candidates move onto a November runoff.

Independent candidates, who require signed petitions, have until June 22 to file. Two weeks of voting for the primaries kicks off on May 23.

The Review-Journal is planning extensive election coverage. In the meantime, here are some of the key races to keep an eye on.

U.S. congressional District 2 seat in Northern Nevada

The race for Amodei’s seat took off after he unexpectedly announced that he wasn’t seeking re-election before the filing period opened two weeks ago.

A packed field comprises 15 fellow Republicans, 11 Democrats and Lynn Chapman, the sole candidate for the Independent American Party nomination.

The Republican candidates are: former Nevada State Sen. James Settelmeyer; David Flippo; Andrea Lowe; Bruce Grego; Fred J. Simon Jr.; George Forbush; Jennifer Billat; Jerry Olsen; Jesse J. Watts; Michael Smith; Rick Shepherd; Sherman Tylawsky; Thomas Doyle; Douglas Miller and William Conrad.

Greg Kidd, who challenged Amodei as an independent in 2024, is running as a Democrat this time around.

The other Democrats who filed are: former Nevada Assembly leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson; Gamaliel Zavala Enriquez; John Kerns; Joshua Hebert; Kathy Durham; Mark Jolle; Matthew Fonken; Morgan Wadsworth; Gerold Lee Gorman, and Samuel White.

Republicans Sam Brown, who challenged U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen in 2024 and Joey Gilbert, who was bested by Gov. Joe Lombardo in the 2022 primaries, took themselves out of the running for Amodei’s seat.

Nevada’s next top cop

Attorney General Aaron Ford’s campaign to unseat Lombardo has left open his seat, attracting two Democratic colleagues and two Republicans.

The Democratic ticket attracted two high-profile elected officials, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and State Treasurer Zach Conine.

The winner will face off against Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian or Adriana Guzmán Fralic, an attorney who previously chaired the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board.

Tarkanian’s name had been floated as a possible candidate to replace Amodei. He recently told the Review-Journal that the Northern Nevada district was home to Republicans who’d lived there longer than him.

Clark County Commission District F

Eleven candidates threw their hats in the race to replace County Commissioner Justin Jones, whose district encompasses large swaths of neighborhoods west of Interstate 15.

Jones, who announced in 2025 that he’s not running for re-election, represents about 375,000 residents.

Nevada Assemblymember Heidi Kasama and businessman Albert Mack have filed for the Republican nomination.

Meanwhile, seven Democrats are vying for their party’s nod: Minddie Lloyd; Lenna Hovanessian; Justin Duke Lieberknecht; Minjia Yan; Sebastian Crawford; Serena Kumar and Michael Robert Wall.

Former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairwoman Becky Harris and Brian Baron round off the list as independents.

Southern Nevada mayors races

North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown, who made history by being the first elected Black mayor in Nevada in 2022, is out due to term limits after serving one as head of the City Council.

The nonpartisan race to replace her attracted five candidates, including a fellow Councilman Scott Black and a high-profile outsider, Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, who also is the chair of the state’s Democratic Party.

Goynes-Brown, who endorsed Black, was in the council when the city navigated itself through a financial crisis that almost led to a state takeover, so, the race could represent a break in the body’s leadership’s continuation.

The other three candidates are Gary Bouchard, Henry Thorns and Zaire Langdon.

Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero notably is being challenged by the city’s former Police Chief Hollie Chadwick and three other candidates: Andrew Ramirez, Adam Price and Maria Angeles Scorsetti.

Nevada lieutenant governor

The state’s lieutenant governor has similar responsibilities as any U.S. vice president. They preside over the Senate, serve in the governor’s cabinet and are next in command if something happens to the governor.

But unlike vice presidential candidates, they don’t run in a ticket.

Republican Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, who’s seeking re-election, has five challengers, including Nevada Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui.

Democrats Bridget N. Scheiner and Courtney Burke are facing Jauregui for the Democratic nomination, while Janine Hansen is running for the Independent American Party.

Cornelius D. Jones filed as an independent.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com