Douglas County Releases 2026 Candidate Watch List After Filing Deadline Passes

Douglas County Elections published its 2026 Candidate Watch listing on March 13, revealing a field of more than 20 candidates who filed for county and local non-judicial offices before the filing deadline closed. All packets have been accepted provisionally, and any candidate wishing to exit the race must do so by March 24 at 5:00 p.m.

The most visibly contested races are for Douglas County Commissioner. In District 2, a partisan four-year seat, Sharla Hales and Marie "Mimi" Moss both filed. Hales lists a phone number of 775-450-5046 and a campaign site at sharlafordouglas.com; Moss can be reached at 775-790-2002 and runs a site at moss4commissioner.com. District 4 also drew two candidates: Diane Imbach and Scott Morgan, who listed a campaign email of dc4scottmorgan@gmail.com.

Two candidates filed for the partisan Douglas County Assessor seat: Dan Rippinger and Sharon Rusk. The county's top law enforcement seat, Douglas County Sheriff, drew Jesse M. Chulay and Dan Coverley for a non-partisan four-year term. Three of the countywide partisan offices each attracted a single filer: Amy Burgans for Clerk-Treasurer (775-291-2123, electamyburgans@gmail.com), Mark B. Jackson for District Attorney (markjackson4da@gmail.com), and Shawnyne Garren for Recorder (775-450-2534, info@garrenfordouglas.com). A candidate identified as Trent Tholen also filed for a partisan four-year term; the specific office name was truncated in the county's posted listing.

Local district boards drew competitive fields as well. Three candidates filed for Round Hill GID's non-partisan four-year seats: Joshua D. Buck, Hunter Harris, and Jay D. Manning. Sierra Estates GID, which offers both two-year and four-year non-partisan terms, listed Martha Fricano, Roy Golightly, and Robert Pifer. Skyland GID saw Nancy E. Beaulieu and April J. Parish file for its non-partisan four-year seat. The Tahoe-Douglas District non-partisan race listed Margie Hauge and Jonathan C. Herwig, though Herwig's entry was truncated in the published listing. School Board Trustee races were included in the Candidate Watch header but the full candidate details were not available in the posted excerpt.

The provisional acceptance language in the county's posting signals that filings remain subject to final review before ballot certification. Candidates who filed but reconsider have until March 24 at 5:00 p.m. to formally withdraw, after which the slate will move toward official certification for the 2026 election.