Nevada candidate for governor reveals past abuse in TV ad
Nevada gubernatorial candidate Chris Giunchigliani is revealing a painful truth in a new TV commercial responding to attacks ads from a group supporting her opponent.
“An 8-year-old girl was sexually abused for over a year,” Giunchigliani begins, looking straight into the camera. “Her sister was kidnapped, held in a trailer and raped for three days. I’m Chris G. And that 8-year-old girl was me.”
Giunchigliani shared the story after a PAC linked to the Clark County Education Association — which has endorsed her Democratic opponent Steve Sisolak — released an ad alleging that Giunchigliani “single-handedly protected perverts.”
The 30-second spot refers to a 2005 amendment introduced by the Nevada Assembly Ways and Means Committee, which was vice chaired by Giunchigliani. The amendment excluded certain people, including teachers, from registering as sex offenders — though they would have to register if convicted of sexual assault or child abuse.
The amendment and the bill passed unanimously. Giunchigliani has said that without the amendment, the bill would have died.
“This legislation was so deeply personal and important to me because it did things like establish the community notification website for sex offenders, and strengthened punishments on predators,” Giunchigliani said in a Reno Gazette Journal op-ed. “I did everything I could to make sure that bill passed.”
The TV ad, which will run in Las Vegas and Reno, concludes with Giunchigliani telling viewers that she also passed “five tough laws against sexual assault.”
“As governor, I’ll do everything I can to protect our children,” she says. “I live with these memories. Steve Sisolak has to live with himself.”
Contact Ramona Giwargis at rgiwargis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4538. Follow @RamonaGiwargis on Twitter.