Elections · Valley-wide
Former Clark County coroner and a state deputy attorney general face off in the race for county public administrator
Patrick Michael Murphy and Stephanie Itkin-Goodman are running to lead the Clark County office that secures the estates of people who die without a will, Nevada Current reported. Both say the job should not be political.
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What happened
Two candidates are competing to become Clark County Public Administrator, according to the Nevada Current. Democrat Stephanie Itkin-Goodman won her party's primary with 65% of the vote. Republican Patrick Michael Murphy won his with 66%.
The race is one of several down-ballot contests voters will see this fall. More coverage of local contests is in our elections section, and details on when and where to cast a ballot are in our guide to early voting in Clark County.
What the public administrator does
The office steps in when a Southern Nevadan dies with no will and no one has been named to handle the estate, the Current reported. Staff secure the person's assets, look for relatives and property, and may distribute the estate through court proceedings.
Both candidates told the Current they would expand community outreach to reduce the number of people who die without a will. Both also said the role should not be partisan.
Who is running
Stephanie Itkin-Goodman
Itkin-Goodman is new to Nevada, according to the Current. She worked for just under two years in a New York City district attorney's office and also in private practice. She now serves as a deputy attorney general advising several regulatory boards, including the Private Investigator's Licensing Board, which also oversees armed security guards.
That board drew criticism from lawmakers this summer when it proposed requiring eight hours of training for security guards carrying rifles and shotguns, which legislators noted Nevada law does not allow. Itkin-Goodman did not answer the Current's question about whether she reviewed the proposal. She later deferred to the board's executive director, saying she can give legal advice but cannot make the board follow it.
She says her legal background suits the job. She told the Current the office "needs independent leadership" and pointed to her commitment to transparency and accountability.
Patrick Michael Murphy
Murphy was Clark County coroner, an appointed post, from 2002 to 2015, the Current reported. He also led other county agencies that needed help, including the Division of Juvenile Justice, and was the county's legislative lobbyist in 2013 and 2015. Earlier he worked for the Boulder City Police Department, served as Mesquite's police chief and worked for City of Las Vegas Detention and Enforcement.
From 2008 through 2015, budget cuts led the coroner's office to handle public administrator duties on overnight cases. In 2022, the county hired Murphy to restore order in the Public Administrator's office during a scandal involving the elected administrator at the time. "I want the opportunity to go there and finish what I started," he told the Current.
Murphy criticized his opponent's handling of the security guard regulation, saying publicly "she's kind of punted." He wants investigators to wear bodycams and to barcode inventory in the field. He cited a recent case involving close to $200,000 in cash and hundreds of weapons.
Money, endorsements and the case for appointment
Fundraising
As of Oct. 15, Itkin-Goodman had raised $41,000 and had roughly $13,000 on hand, the Current reported. Murphy had raised close to $87,000 and had roughly $26,000 in the bank.
Endorsements
Itkin-Goodman's endorsements include Culinary Local 226, SEIU Nevada, IATSE 720, the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union, the National Organization for Women, Make the Road and PLAN Action. Murphy is backed by more than a dozen law enforcement associations, including the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers and Clark County Firefighters, as well as several veterans groups and Ironworkers Local 433.
Should the job be elected?
Murphy said the office should be nonpartisan or appointed. He noted that anyone who pays $105 can run. He urged voters not to pick based on party alone. Itkin-Goodman said she would support changing the law so county commissions in large counties, such as Clark and Washoe, could appoint the position.
What to watch next
- Voters will choose between Itkin-Goodman and Murphy in the general election for Clark County Public Administrator.
- Itkin-Goodman has not answered the Nevada Current's question about whether she reviewed the security guard regulation before it went to lawmakers.
- Both candidates support changing how the office is filled, with Itkin-Goodman backing a law change to let large county commissions appoint the position.
