LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro sat down with FOX5 to discuss her campaign for Nevada attorney general, addressing public safety, voting rights, federal overreach, artificial intelligence and affordability ahead of the general election.
Cannizzaro, who won her primary, said her focus remains on investing in public safety and keeping communities safe throughout the state.
Public safety and consumer protection
Cannizzaro said she has plans to crack down on fraud and scams she said are “rampant throughout the valley.” She said protecting kids online is a priority because of emerging threats involving artificial intelligence and the internet.
She said she is focused on protecting consumer rights and working families, saying the attorney general’s office plays a role in ensuring a “fair playing field for every single Nevadans.” She said she wants to crack down on the use of data in price surveillance that she said raises the cost of housing and everyday goods.
“I’m really proud to be a born and raised Las Vegan, a born and raised Nevadan,” Cannizzaro said.
Voting rights
Cannizzaro said Nevada has “robust voting laws” that allow residents to exercise their right to vote. She said her parents, a bartender and a waitress, struggled to vote before the state had early voting and vote by mail.
She said she worked in the Legislature to expand voting access, including moving from individual precinct locations to countywide polling locations and establishing universal mail-in ballots.
“Our rights are only as good as we are able to and willing to protect them,” Cannizzaro said, adding that the attorney general’s office serves as a “backstop” against efforts to dismantle voting rights or disenfranchise voters.
Federal overreach and water allocation
Asked whether she expects more legal challenges between the state and federal government, Cannizzaro said the attorney general must be ready to challenge the federal government, another state, an individual, a corporation or “any other entity” seeking to take away Nevadans’ rights.
She said the federal government is seeking to cut Nevada’s water allocation by almost 70%, calling Nevada one of the most water-efficient and driest states in the country. She said other states along the Colorado River Basin are not being asked to make similar cuts, and said litigation is being pursued against the federal government over the issue.
Corporate accountability
Cannizzaro said the attorney general’s office handles consumer protection issues and can bring lawsuits against corporations that take advantage of Nevadans. She said Nevada has laws prohibiting unfair trade practices.
She described a scenario in which a store raises the price of diapers for a customer who buys them weekly, calling that practice unfair. She said she wants to ensure a level playing field for everyday goods, including groceries.
On housing, Cannizzaro said she wants to prevent Nevadans from being priced out by corporate hedge funds from other states buying up properties and using data to raise rents. She said she has a long record as a prosecutor and litigator.
Cannizzaro said she is the only candidate in the race who has put forward a plan to hold data centers accountable, including preventing Nevadans from bearing the costs of additional infrastructure, ending “secret deals” that pass costs to families, monitoring water usage and including community input.
AI guardrails
Cannizzaro said the state needs to be proactive in protecting Nevadans as AI technology evolves. She said AI has useful applications but needs parameters to protect privacy rights.
She said oversight should include legislation and enforcement through the attorney general’s office. She said she brought a bill last session to address AI-generated child sexual abuse material after law enforcement saw an increase in the use of AI to manipulate images of abused children, which she said previously could not be prosecuted.
“AI shouldn’t be used as a tool to allow criminals and child predators to escape prosecution and responsibility,” Cannizzaro said.
Prosecutorial background
Cannizzaro said her experience as a prosecutor trained her as a lawyer and gave her passion for advocating for victims. She said she worked as a prosecutor for about 11 years in Clark County with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, primarily as a gang prosecutor handling racketeering and organized crime cases.
She said the attorney general’s office has a unique ability to bring together jurisdictions across the state on issues like human trafficking, gun trafficking and drug trafficking. She said she has tried cases including sexual assaults and murders.
Cannizzaro said she is the only candidate in the race with endorsements from more than 20 law enforcement, prosecutorial and public safety entities.
Affordability
Cannizzaro said gas near her house was $5.79 a gallon about a week ago, calling it unaffordable for families. She said she wants to ensure the attorney general’s office maintains a level playing field, including preventing data from being used to raise costs for consumers.
She said she supports efforts from recent legislative sessions, including the last special session, to limit corporate home ownership. She said she has worked to lower prescription drug prices for medications including diabetes and asthma treatments, and helped install Nevada’s first public health insurance option, which she said is 15% less expensive than other health insurance programs over five years.
She said she has also worked on health care options for mothers, including prenatal and postnatal care and coverage for NICU babies.
Cannizzaro said her opponent in the race has cited efforts to remove hundreds of thousands of Nevadans from health insurance and deny coverage for pre-existing conditions as a motivating factor for running for office.
Closing message
Cannizzaro said she is a born and raised Las Vegan and product of the state’s education system. She said her parents were a bartender and a waitress. She cited her work cracking down on fentanyl trafficking and holding child predators accountable during her 10 years as a legislator.
“I am ready to do that on day one, and I’m the only candidate in this race that has that kind of experience,” Cannizzaro said.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
