Jon Penn Junejo
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?
“As a psychiatry provider and clinician, I can attest to the lasting value of early science education. I learned the scientific method in Ms. Coffman’s fifth-grade class and, in sixth grade, conducted a science fair experiment surveying my peers about diet and health. Those early experiences helped prepare me for college and graduate science courses, ultimately contributing to my earning a psychiatry doctorate from Columbia with a 4.0 GPA and applying science every day while treating patients in rural and underserved communities.
I want Nevada students to have those same opportunities. I support expanding hands-on science education beginning in elementary school, including experiments, laboratories, science fairs, and problem-solving that connects STEM to students’ lives and careers.
We must also recruit and retain qualified STEM educators. I support scholarships, loan assistance, professional development, and targeted compensation for STEM teachers who commit to Nevada, particularly rural and high-need schools, alongside stronger partnerships between school districts, NSHE institutions, and employers. We should measure student proficiency and teacher retention to ensure these investments are producing results.
Keywords: Early science exposure · STEM educators · Rural access”
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 policy in the nation’s driest state must be guided by science, conservation, and long-term sustainability. I support more frequent groundwater studies, particularly in basins experiencing substantial withdrawals and rural communities where reliable, uncontaminated water can be especially vulnerable. I also support independent monitoring and greater public transparency regarding groundwater levels, water quality, and major users.
Nevada should expand conservation, water recycling, efficient irrigation, and partnerships among state agencies, universities, local governments, and natural-resource organizations. Large new industrial developments should demonstrate sustainable water supplies without shifting long-term risks onto surrounding communities.
I also support Nevada’s recent agreement with California, Arizona, and federal partners to explore interstate water exchanges. Partnerships involving desalination, recycled water, and other new supplies could increase regional water security without reallocating existing water rights or requiring costly new interstate pipelines. Nevada should pursue these innovative sources while vigorously protecting its Colorado River interests.
Agriculture, communities, industry, and environmental needs all matter. Decisions should be based on reliable water data, long-term aquifer sustainability, economic need, conservation performance, and the consequences for future generations.”
Keywords: Groundwater sustainability · Conservation · Water security
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?
“As a psychiatry provider in Nevada, I have seen how environmental conditions can affect both mental and physical health. Extreme heat can worsen medical and psychiatric conditions, and as Nevada becomes hotter and drier, protecting residents—particularly children, older adults, outdoor workers, and people without reliable air conditioning—must become a greater public-health priority.
I support expanding cooling centers and hydration stations in high-risk communities, accompanied by public-service campaigns encouraging hydration and educating residents about heat-related illness. Schools, parks, bus stops, and other public spaces should incorporate more shade, trees, and heat-resistant infrastructure, particularly in neighborhoods experiencing the greatest heat exposure.
Nevada should also strengthen protections for outdoor workers during extreme heat, including access to water, shade, rest periods, and appropriate emergency protocols. We should identify vulnerable residents during severe heat events and strengthen partnerships among local governments, healthcare systems, utilities, and community organizations to connect them with cooling resources.
Finally, conservation and heat resilience should work together. Nevada should expand efficient water use, recycled water, and drought-appropriate urban vegetation so we can cool communities without unnecessarily increasing pressure on limited water supplies.”
Keywords: Heat resilience · Public health · Vulnerable populations
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?
“Nevada should use its natural advantages to produce more of the energy we consume while keeping household electricity affordable. Solar should remain central to that strategy, complemented by geothermal, wind where practical, and energy storage. Nevada’s lithium resources—while not themselves renewable—also give our state an opportunity to support rechargeable batteries and energy storage while creating jobs.
I would support incentives that make geothermal, solar, storage, and other renewable projects economically competitive, while evaluating projects based on reliability, environmental impacts, water consumption, and costs passed on to ratepayers. Expanding transmission and storage is also important so renewable electricity generated at one time or location can meet demand when Nevadans need it.
For households, renewable policy should lower rather than increase the cost of living. I support preserving fair net-metering opportunities so residents who invest their own money in rooftop solar receive reasonable credit for excess electricity they return to the grid, while maintaining a reliable system for all customers.
Nevada can increase energy independence, diversify its supply, create jobs, and reduce long-term energy costs without placing a disproportionate burden on working families.”
Keywords: Renewable energy · Affordability · Energy independence
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?
“Data centers can bring investment and jobs to Nevada, but those benefits must be weighed against their substantial water, electricity, and infrastructure demands. I support requiring proposed facilities to provide transparent, independently reviewed projections of water and energy consumption before receiving major state incentives or approvals.
I oppose locating data centers in Pahrump and Nye County. These communities face significant water constraints, extreme heat, limited infrastructure, and other challenges that make energy- and water-intensive development inappropriate. Economic development should improve residents’ quality of life without jeopardizing long-term water security or increasing pressure on household electricity costs.
Elsewhere in Nevada, I would prioritize closed-loop and other water-efficient cooling systems and require siting decisions to consider climate, sustainable water availability, transmission capacity, environmental risks, and effects on ratepayers.
Large industrial users should also bear an appropriate share of infrastructure and generation costs attributable to their demand rather than shifting those costs onto Nevada households. I support technological investment where Nevada has the resources and infrastructure to accommodate it responsibly, with ongoing reporting to ensure actual water and electricity consumption matches projections.”
Keywords: Water security · Responsible siting · Ratepayer protection
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’s mineral resources, particularly lithium, are an important economic asset and give our state a unique role in America’s energy and technology supply chains. I support developing these resources responsibly while protecting the water, ecosystems, and communities that make that development possible.
We should strengthen Nevada’s “Lithium Loop” by investing not only in extraction, but also battery manufacturing and recycling. Recovering lithium and other valuable materials from used batteries can reduce waste, extend the value of finite mineral resources, and create additional Nevada jobs.
Because Nevada is the nation’s driest state, water use must be central to mining decisions. I support encouraging lower-water extraction and processing technologies, including direct lithium extraction where scientifically and geologically appropriate, alongside water recycling and conservation.
Scientific and environmental assessments should occur before projects are approved and continue throughout their operation. I support regular, independent assessments of groundwater, ecosystems, contamination risks, and actual resource consumption. These reviews should be transparent and informed by interdisciplinary teams that include scientists, regulators, industry, and residents of affected communities.
Economic development and environmental stewardship should reinforce one another, ensuring Nevada’s mineral resources remain an asset for generations.”
Keywords: Lithium recycling · Water conservation · Scientific oversight