Calvin Sandoval
DemocraticQ1 K-12 EDUCATION: In 2023–24, approximately 14% of fifth-grade students and 36% of eighth-grade students in Nevada met or exceeded state standards for science, while many Nevada school districts face challenges attracting and retaining qualified STEM educators. What evidence-based policies, if any, would you support to strengthen science education and access to quality STEM educators across the state, and why?
“Nevada’s science scores should concern all of us, but the answer is not simply spending more or adding bureaucracy.
I support competitive pay for teachers. Teaching is a career, and educators should be paid as professionals. We must also recruit and retain qualified STEM teachers and create practical pathways for experienced professionals in science, engineering, technology, healthcare, construction, and the skilled trades to enter classrooms without lowering standards.
Nevada law already provides structures for examining education policy and outcomes. We should use them to focus on what works rather than create bureaucracy for its own sake.
I support hands on science education and stronger partnerships with colleges and universities. Programs such as the NSF Noyce Teacher Scholarship at the University of Nevada, Reno, show how we can recruit and prepare STEM teachers while connecting them to the communities they serve. We should expand partnerships among schools, higher education, apprenticeship programs, unions, and Nevada employers so students can connect learning to real careers.
Finally, we need accountability for education spending. More resources should reach teachers, classrooms, laboratories, and students. Nevada schools need qualified educators, practical training opportunities, and the tools necessary to teach state standards successfully.”
Keywords: Competitive teacher pay, teacher retention, STEM recruitment, hands on science, career and technical education, apprenticeships, skilled trades, classroom resources, science labs, workforce partnerships, accountability, education spending, real world learning, college partnerships, union partnerships, Nevada employers, teacher professionalism, student outcomes.
Q2 WATER: Nevada is the driest state in the United States, and our limited water resources are facing increasing demand as drought pressure increases. Research has documented declining groundwater levels and concerns about the long-term sustainability of groundwater withdrawals. What policies, if any, would you support to promote sustainable groundwater use and protect long-term access to fresh water in Nevada? How would you approach balancing competing water demands, such as those from agriculture, communities, industry, and environmental needs?
“Water is one of Nevada’s most important long term issues, and we cannot manage it as if supplies are unlimited. Nevada is among the driest states in the country, making responsible water planning essential.
I support better monitoring of groundwater levels and actual water use, stronger conservation in depleted basins, expanded water reuse, and aquifer recharge where appropriate. Decisions should be based on reliable data and long term supply projections not made after a community is already in crisis.
I also oppose a one size fits all approach. Agriculture, cities, industry, and the environment all have legitimate water needs. Policies should be developed basin by basin, with local communities and existing water rights holders meaningfully involved.
My priority is protecting reliable drinking water for Nevada families while ensuring agriculture and businesses can continue to operate. New development and water intensive industries should demonstrate a sustainable water supply before receiving approval. Growth should not leave existing residents with higher costs or less reliable service.
Nevada must plan for the next fifty years not just the next election cycle.”
Keywords: Groundwater sustainability, conservation, aquifer recharge, water reuse, groundwater monitoring, sustainable yield, existing water rights, basin by basin management, drinking water protection, agriculture, responsible growth, water intensive industry, infrastructure reliability, Horizon Lateral, long term planning, drought resilience, local input, Nevada first.
Q3 HEAT: Reno was recently identified as the fastest-warming city in the country, closely followed by Las Vegas. What steps, if any, would you take to protect Nevadans from the increasing threat of extreme heat, particularly vulnerable populations such as children, older adults, low-income communities, and outdoor workers?
“Extreme heat is not theoretical in Nevada. If you have worked outside here, you know what 110 or 115 degrees feels like. The Desert Research Institute has documented extreme heat as a growing public health threat, affecting workers, families, seniors, children, and vulnerable residents across our state.
We need practical protections for those facing the greatest risks. Outdoor workers should have access to water, shade, reasonable rest periods, heat-illness training, and schedule adjustments when conditions become dangerous. Nevada must enforce existing heat protections and ensure workers are not punished for reporting unsafe conditions.
We also need to help residents keep their homes safe. Expanding cooling centers, public information, and utility assistance can protect people who cannot afford to run their air conditioning. Clark County already uses libraries, recreation centers, and other public facilities as cooling stations. We should build on that system and ensure residents can reach these locations safely, including those who rely on public transportation or have limited mobility.
Investing in shade infrastructure is equally important. Trees and shade structures around schools, parks, sidewalks, and transit stops can reduce exposure and make daily travel safer.
Nevada is a desert, but we can take extreme heat seriously and connect workplace protections, cooling resources, and better public infrastructure to protect our communities.”
Keywords: Extreme heat, outdoor worker protections, water, shade, rest breaks, heat illness training, flexible work schedules, worker safety, cooling centers, seniors, children, low income communities, air conditioning assistance, public health, shade infrastructure, schools, parks, sidewalks, transit stops, heat resilience, Nevada desert conditions, common sense protections.
Q4 ENERGY: In 2025, solar power provided approximately 34% of Nevada’s total in-state electricity generation. As electricity demand continues to grow, what role do you believe renewable energy sources should play in meeting Nevada’s future energy needs? What policies, if any, would you support to facilitate the development of these resources while keeping energy affordable for Nevada households and ensuring that residents who generate their own electricity can participate fairly in the energy system?
“Renewable energy should continue to play a major role in Nevada’s future, but reliability and affordability must come first. Nevada has a natural advantage in solar energy, and we should continue expanding it while also investing in geothermal power, battery storage, transmission, and dependable generation to keep the lights on when the sun is not shining.
I support policies that make it easier to build energy projects responsibly, modernize the grid, and add storage without placing unnecessary costs on Nevada families. As demand grows from new businesses, data centers, and population growth, large energy users should pay their fair share of the infrastructure needed to serve them. Growth should help pay for growth.
Nevadans who invest their own money in rooftop solar should be treated fairly and receive reasonable value for the electricity they send back to the grid. At the same time, the system must remain fair to customers who do not have rooftop solar and should not shift unreasonable costs onto them.
Nevada should use the resources we have here to produce more of our own energy, strengthen reliability, protect ratepayers, and keep electricity affordable.”
Keywords: Renewable energy, solar, geothermal, battery storage, transmission, grid reliability, affordability, rooftop solar, net metering, fair compensation, energy independence, data centers, large energy users, infrastructure costs, tribal consultation, tribal sovereignty, cultural resources, economic development, local generation, Nevada first, responsible growth.
Q5 Nevada has increasingly attracted large-scale data centers and other energy-intensive industries, which can provide economic investment while also increasing demand for electricity and water. What approach, if any, would you take to ensure that the anticipated water and energy needs of these developments are accurately accounted for in planning and permitting, while balancing economic benefits and electricity costs for residents?
“I support bringing new investment and good jobs to Nevada, but growth has to pay for growth.
Before a large data center or other energy intensive project is approved, the developer should have to show where its water and power will come from, what its long term demand will be, and what new infrastructure will be required. We need to account for both the water used directly by the facility and the water and generation needed to produce its electricity.
I also believe large users should pay their fair share for the generation, transmission, water, and other infrastructure required to serve them. Nevada families should not see higher utility bills because a multibillion dollar company needs a massive new load.
We should welcome responsible development, but the numbers need to work before permits are approved. Nevada should not promise water or power we do not have and then ask residents to pick up the tab.
I want the investment and the jobs, but Nevada comes first.”
Keywords: Data centers, energy intensive industry, water demand, electricity demand, infrastructure planning, permitting, growth pays for growth, utility costs, ratepayer protection, transmission, generation capacity, water supply, long term demand, cumulative impacts, responsible development, economic investment, job creation, infrastructure costs, resource planning, Nevada families, Nevada first.
Q6 MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES: As the Silver State, Nevada is a major U.S. source of mineral resources and has some of the country’s largest lithium reserves, which are increasingly important to the nation’s energy and technology industries. How would you balance the development of these resources with potential impacts on water, ecosystems, and surrounding communities, and what role, if any, should scientific and environmental assessments play in decisions about where and how mining occurs?
“Nevada should use the resources we have, including lithium. Mining means jobs, manufacturing, and a chance to keep more of the supply chain here instead of sending everything somewhere else.
But I also think we have to be smart about it. Water is too valuable in Nevada to gamble with. Before a project gets approved, we need real science on groundwater, wildlife, reclamation, and the impact on nearby communities.
Tribal and local communities also need to be at the table when a project affects their land, water, or cultural resources.
I am not anti mining. Mining helped build Nevada, and it is still a big part of our economy. I just do not believe economic development should mean ignoring the damage and dealing with it later.
Do the studies up front, make the companies responsible for mitigation and cleanup, protect our water, and make sure Nevada workers and communities actually benefit from the development.”
Keywords: Lithium, mining, mineral resources, Lithium Loop, domestic supply chain, Nevada jobs, manufacturing, water protection, groundwater, environmental review, scientific assessment, reclamation, cleanup, wildlife, tribal consultation, local communities, cultural resources, responsible development, economic diversification, mitigation, Nevada workers, Nevada first.