Assembly District 19

Candidate for state assembly district 19, Connie Foust, a Republican, will face off with incumbent Chris Edwards, also a Republican, in the primary. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Assembly District 19 Republican candidates Chris Edwards and Connie Foust both hold conservative views when it comes to raising state revenue through taxation.

The primary election winner will win the seat because there are no opponents on the ballot for the general election. Edwards, the incumbent, is seeking his second term.

Both candidates would rather see businesses grow without a heavier tax burden. Then as the economy recovers, so will the revenue shortfall, they believe.

Foust, who is running for public office for her first time, said Edwards’ voting record in the 2015 legislative session shows he supported tax increases more often than not.

Edwards said Foust is confusing taxes with user fees. “There was only a $1.4 billion tax bill and I voted against it,” he said about what has been called the biggest tax hike in state history.

Foust said “I don’t favor tax hikes. I favor constructive use of the taxpayer’s money.” She added that “many bureaucracies are bloated and should be looked at before they get more money.”

Edwards said legislators “need to focus on smarter business practices that will help businesses here to grow and expand, especially those who struggled through that awful recession.”

If the housing market recovers then equity in the homes will improve and the normal taxes on houses will recover with it,” he said.

Both candidates said Nevada’s higher education system needs to be reviewed and possibly revamped.

“There has been a lack of accountability. I think it needs a really close look,” Foust said.

Said Edwards: “I think we need to take a really good look at how they operate and how they are funded.”

Edwards said among his priorities are to increase the number of jobs in Nevada and to continue education reform.

Foust said she plans to tackle issues with education, taxes and jobs and take a hard look at “how to better use revenue.”

Contact Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308. Find @KeithRogers2 on Twitter.