State Senate District 9 in Nevada State Senate District 9, Nevada
2026 Primary Election
- Melanie Scheible — Incumbent Nevada State Senator in NV
Melanie Scheible is the incumbent Nevada State Senator for District 9, serving since 2018. A Democrat, she holds the position of Chief Democratic Whip. Scheible advocates for public safety, focusing on crime prevention through after-school programs, job training, and mental health treatment. She champions affordable and accessible healthcare, working to control costs and expand access to birth control, including sponsoring legislation for pharmacist-dispensed options. Additionally, she supports environmental sustainability, promoting investment in wind, solar, and geothermal energy and advancing clean energy infrastructure to meet Nevada's climate goals.
- Maria Thompson — Attorney in Las Vegas, NV
Maria Thompson is a Las Vegas attorney and former journalist running as a Republican for Nevada State Senate District 9 in 2026. A graduate of UNLV's Boyd School of Law, where she finished in the top 5% of her class, Thompson also holds multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards from her journalism career. She moved to Las Vegas in 2017 and is currently an associate attorney at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. Her decision to pursue law and enter politics was inspired by her journalistic investigations into education, juvenile justice, and government, where she observed a need for leaders who are accountable to constituents and seek real solutions. Her campaign priorities include education, healthcare, job creation, family safety, and accountability, emphasizing a focus on Nevadans over partisan politics. She is fluent in Spanish and actively volunteers in her community.