REVIEW-JOURNAL ENDORSEMENT: District Court, Department 18
In Department 18, Judge Mary Kay Holthus faces John Hunt, a University of San Diego law school graduate who was the Democratic nominee for Nevada attorney general in 2002, losing to Brian Sandoval.
Judge Holthus, who attended Villanova law school, won election in 2018 after spending 27 years as a prosecutor in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. She earned a disappointing retention rating of 59 percent in the RJ’s 2019 Judging the Judges survey, perhaps reflecting the learning curve for newly elected judges. Mr. Hunt, meanwhile, has a long and varied legal background, primarily in private practice.
These are two well-qualified candidates. But we believe Judge Holthus deserves more than just two years to gain her footing on the bench. We urge a vote for Mary Kay Holthus.