Nicole Jeanette Cannizzaro (born January 19, 1983) is an American Democratic politician currently serving in the Nevada Senate. She represents the 6th district, which covers parts of Las Vegas.
Nicole Cannizzaro | |
|---|---|
| Majority Leader of the Nevada Senate | |
| Assumed office March 5, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Kelvin Atkinson |
| Member of the Nevada Senate from the 6th district | |
| Assumed office November 9, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Lipparelli |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 19, 1983 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nate |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Nevada, Reno (BA) University of Nevada, Las Vegas (JD) |
Cannizzaro is the first woman to serve as Majority Leader of the Nevada Senate.[1] Cannizzaro is the Democratic nominee for Nevada Attorney General in the 2026 elections.[2]
Biography
editCannizzaro was born in Las Vegas.[3] She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and management from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2006, and a Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2010.[4] Following graduation, she worked as a legal clerk and then began practicing law in Las Vegas. She joined the Clark County District Attorney's Office in 2011 where she served as a Chief Deputy District Attorney.[5] After more than a decade at the Clark County District Attorney's Office, she returned to private practice in 2022.[6]
Cannizzaro was elected to the Senate in 2016 by a narrow margin, defeating Republican Victoria Seaman.[5][7] She was reelected in 2020 and 2024.[8][9] In July 2025, Cannizzaro announced she would run for Nevada Attorney General in the 2026 statewide election.[2] She defeated State Treasurer Zach Conine in the primary.[10]
Legislative initiatives
editCannizzaro has sponsored legislation on a variety of topics during her three terms in the Nevada Senate.
Public Safety:
- Senate Bill 263: Banning the possession, production, or distribution of AI generated child pornography
- Senate Bill 343: Increasing criminal penalties for trafficking fentanyl
- Senate Bill 440: Awarding back pay to state police and other state employees
Health care:
- Senate Bill 420:Creating a more affordable public health care option to be sold in Nevada's individual health care market
- Senate Bill 232:Expanding coverage for postpartum services for new mothers
Education:
- Senate Bill 231: Providing funding for 20% raises for public school teachers
Reproductive Rights:
- Senate Bill 131:Banning government agencies in Nevada from assisting other states' prosecutions of abortion patients or providers
- Senate Joint Resolution 7: Adding reproductive rights to the Nevada Constitution
- Senate Bill 179: Removing outdated criminal penalties for abortion from Nevada law
- Senate Bill 190: Expanding contraceptive access by allowing pharmacists to directly dispense birth control
Personal life
editElectoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nicole Cannizzaro | 28,733 | 50.92 | |
| Republican | Victoria Seaman | 27,697 | 49.08 | |
| Total votes | 56,430 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nicole Cannizzaro | 33,895 | 50.47 | |
| Republican | April Becker | 33,264 | 49.53 | |
| Total votes | 67,159 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nicole Cannizzaro | 37,171 | 51.69 | |
| Republican | Jill Douglass | 32,730 | 45.51 | |
| Independent American | Brad Lee Barnhill | 2,017 | 2.8 | |
| Total votes | 71,918 | 100.00 | ||
References
edit- ↑ Team, News 4 & Fox 11 Digital (2019-03-05). "Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro elected new Senate Majority Leader after Atkinson resigns". KRXI. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - 1 2 "Top state Senate Democrat Cannizzaro to run for attorney general". The Nevada Independent. 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ "Senator Nicole J. Cannizzaro". Nevada Senate. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- 1 2 "Nicole Cannizzaro's Biography". Project VoteSmart. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- 1 2 Snyder, Riley (February 5, 2017). "Freshman Orientation: Democratic Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ↑ Brewer, Ray (September 18, 2023). "Cannizzaro to seek third term in Nevada Senate". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Chereb, Sandra (August 22, 2016). "Seaman-Cannizzaro race tight for state Senate District 6". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ↑ www.nvsos.gov https://www.nvsos.gov/silverstate2020gen/NVSenate/. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ silverstateelection.nv.gov https://silverstateelection.nv.gov/NVSenate/. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Levering, Spencer (2026-06-10). "Cannizzaro wins Democratic attorney general primary, other statewide races competitive". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2026-06-10.
- ↑ "Nevada Legislature observes 'family day,' targets high price of eggs as session starts". KLAS. 2025-02-04. Archived from the original on 2025-02-05. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ↑ "NV State Senate 06 2016". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ↑ "NV State Senate 06 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ "NV State Senate 06 2024". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
External links
edit- Profile at the Nevada Senate
- Campaign website