Home  /  Nevada State Assembly 37 – 2024

Candidate Comparisons

The NWLC Action Fund aims to inform the public about candidates’ positions on issues affecting gender justice. We encourage voters to get informed, learn where their candidates stand, and to encourage candidates to adopt policy positions that support women and girls. 

A full list of policies used to assess candidates’ support can be found here.

Shea
Backus

vs.

David
Brog

Supports

Support an affordable and accessible care economy

Opposes

Supports

Secure and protect reproductive freedom

Opposes

Supports

Support safe and inclusive schools

Opposes

Supports

Expand democracy

Opposes

Paid for by the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund (www.nwlcactionfund.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Evidences/Citations

Support an affordable and accessible care economy - supports

Shea Backus

  1. Make childcare affordable and accessible – supports
    1. Marzola is endorsed by the Vote Mama PAC, which names the experience of struggling to find “affordable, quality childcare” as an important perspective to have in elected officials.
    2. The Democratic Platform says “Democrats will make investments like these permanent, and guarantee affordable, quality child care to millions of working families for less than $10-a-day per child.”
  2. Guarantee paid family and medical leave – supports
    1. Marzola’s campaign website says “During her time in the legislature, Assemblywoman Marzola has sponsored and voted on legislation to provide Nevada workers with paid family leave”
    2. The Democratic Platform says “We will protect the health and dignity of older adults and people with disabilities by improving long-term care and supporting family caregivers, and we will invest in care infrastructure by raising wages and the quality of care worker jobs.”

Support an affordable and accessible care economy - opposes

David Brog

  1. Make childcare affordable and accessible – leans oppose
    1. The Republican Platform says they will “make permanent the provisions of the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” which was shown to benefit the rich more than other taxpayers. 
  2. Guarantee paid family and medical leave – opposes
    1. She is endorsed by Gov. Lombardo, who vetoed SB429, which would have “[required] certain new or expanding businesses to provide certain family and medical leave to employees in order to qualify for a partial abatement of certain taxes.”

Secure and protect reproductive freedom - supports

Shea Backus

  1. Guarantee right to abortion – supports
    1. She voted for Senate Joint Resolution 7, which expanded reproductive health protections already enshrined in the state constitution.
    2. Marzola’s campaign website says “She believes in safeguarding access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including contraception and abortion, ensuring that every person has the right to make their own healthcare decisions without interference from politicians or restrictive legislation”
    3. Marzola is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Nevada.
    4. The Democratic Platform says “Democrats are committed to restoring the reproductive rights Trump ripped away. With a Democratic Congress, we will pass national legislation to make Roe the law of the land again.” 
  2. Expand and protect access to birth control – supports
    1. She voted for Senate Joint Resolution 7, which expanded reproductive health protections already enshrined in the state constitution.

Secure and protect reproductive freedom - opposes

David Brog

  1. Guarantee right to abortion – opposes
    1. In reference to abortion, the Republican Platform says “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.”
  2. Expand and protect access to birth control – silent

Support safe and inclusive schools - supports

Shea Backus

  1. Oppose book and curriculum bans – supports
    1. The Democratic Platform says “President Biden has also taken action to support LGBTQI+ youth in foster care; and is fighting book bans that censor LGBTQI+ content.”
  2. Support inclusion of LGBTQI+ students – supports
    1. Marzola voted in favor of SB163, which “requires certain health insurance to cover treatment of certain conditions relating to gender dysphoria and gender incongruence.”
    2. Marzola voted in favor of SB302, which protects health care providers and family members from legal repercussions for seeking gender affirming care.
    3. The Democratic Platform says “Democrats will continue to fight for LGBTQI+ youth by building on President Biden’s historic actions to ban so-called “conversion therapy”; protecting LGBTQI+ children from bullying and assault; guaranteeing that transgender students are treated fairly and with respect at school; and ending the homeless crisis among LGBTQI+ youth.”

Support safe and inclusive schools - opposes

David Brog

  1. Oppose book and curriculum bans – opposes
    1. The Republican Platform says they will “CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ANY SCHOOL PUSHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY, RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY, AND OTHER INAPPROPRIATE RACIAL, SEXUAL, OR POLITICAL CONTENT ON OUR CHILDREN”
  2. Support inclusion of LGBTQI+ students – opposes
    1. Arndt retweeted a post against LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports
    2. The Republican Platform says “We will keep men out of women’s sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden’s radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations, and restore protections for women and girls.”

Expand democracy - supports

Shea Backus

  1. Oppose policies that restrict access to the ballot box, like voter ID laws – supports
    1. Marzola voted in favor of SB443, which would make it easier for voters to register and get mail in ballots.
  2. Support expanded voting access through increasing the number of polling locations, allowing mail in and absentee voting, and increasing early voting – supports
    1. Marzola voted in favor of AB321, which made those expanded mail in voting changes during the pandemic permanent
    2. pandemic, and AB321, which made those changes permanent
    3. The Democratic Platform says “Congress must restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act and take additional steps to ensure access to the ballot box. Democrats will pass and President Biden will sign the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to fully secure the right to vote in every state, ensure fair congressional maps for every American, modernize and secure our elections, and curtail the corrupting influence of money in politics.”

Expand democracy - opposes

David Brog

  1. Oppose policies that restrict access to the ballot box, like voter ID laws – opposes
    1. The Republican Platform says they would “SECURE OUR ELECTIONS, INCLUDING SAME DAY VOTING, VOTER IDENTIFICATION, PAPER BALLOTS, AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP”
    2. Arndt collected signatures for a voter ID ballot initiative
    3. Arndt retweeted a post in support of a voter ID ballot initiative
  2. Support expanded voting access through increasing the number of polling locations, allowing mail in and absentee voting, and increasing early voting – opposes
    1. She is endorsed by Gov. Lombardo,who vetoed SB443, which would make it easier for voters to register and get mail in ballots.
    2. The Republican Platform says “We will implement measures to secure our Elections, including Voter ID, highly sophisticated paper ballots, proof of Citizenship, and same day Voting. We will not allow the Democrats to give Voting Rights to illegal Aliens”