LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In the race for U.S. House of Representatives District 4, comprised of much of northern Las Vegas through central Nevada, Republican challenger Jim Marchant is hoping to unseat Democratic incumbent Steven Horsford.
Marchant is a former businessman from Florida and former Nevada assemblyman representing District 37 in the Nevada State Legislature.
"I want people to have more freedoms, not less freedoms," Marchant said.
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Marchant has positioned himself as a pro-police, anti-tax, anti-regulation candidate focused on opening business in Nevada following the coronavirus shutdown in March.
"We need to do the social distancing and be safe," he said, "but we've got to get our economy open. No more of our phases. We've got to get our economy open right now."
If elected to a federal position, Marchant wouldn't have much power to direct Nevada to lift business restrictions designed to fight the global pandemic, but he would have the power to draft federal aid packages like the CARES Act to support struggling businesses and Nevada residents.
Marchant has been critical of the subsequent aid package passed by House Democrats like Horseford, the HEROES Act, saying the legislation provides too much aid to state, county, and local governments to fill their budget gaps caused by significant loss in tax revenue.
"Get the right help to the right people," he said, "and we want it to go to the people not the government."
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Horsford defended his support of federal aid to state and local municipalities saying the more than $1 trillion to all 50 states would help prevent the loss of police, fire, and education jobs across the country.
"For Nevada it would mean more than $8.6 billion in money to our state and local governments," he said.
Horsford said his main strategy to revitalize Nevada's ailing economy begins with providing more resources for a robust and comprehensive national testing and tracing program to effectively combat COVID-19.
"Priority number one is crushing the virus."
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Simultaneously, Horsford said he is dedicated to providing the necessary aid Nevadans need until the coronavirus pandemic becomes manageable.
Horsford's remaining priorities include protecting Nevadan's healthcare plans, lowering prescription drug costs, and developing a national infrastructure restoration plan.
