Clark County District Court Judge Jacob Reynolds is being challenged by prosecutor Alex Quagge in the race for District Court Department 29.
Judge Reynolds attributes the effort to elect his opponent to attorneys who he believes are upset he did not rule in their favor when they thought he should have. He stated these individuals are attempting to elect someone who "aligns with their business interests," emphasizing that his own goal is to "be fair." Reynolds specifically identified "A Coalition for a Fair and Qualified Nevada Judiciary," a group composed of approximately 20 plaintiff firms, as having endorsed Quagge.
Conversely, Alex Quagge explained his decision to challenge Reynolds stemmed from conversations with attorneys and other individuals who were "not happy." Quagge emphasized his belief that it is "important for everybody to believe in the judiciary."
Regarding qualifications, Quagge currently serves as a prosecutor for the Clark County District Attorney, a role he also held in Carson City. He previously served in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. Quagge highlighted his "trial experience, both as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney," noting he has taken multiple trials to verdict, and believes he would issue "good, fair, and legally sound rulings." Reynolds was appointed to Department 29 by Gov. Joe Lombardo in 2023. He first ran for the bench in 2020, losing that race, and subsequently ran unopposed in 2024 after his opponent withdrew.
Department 29 presently handles a civil docket. Reynolds stated he has "no criminal background at all" and suggested that judges do not necessarily need to be equipped to handle all types of cases. He emphasized the importance of judges with civil law experience, noting that most judges have criminal backgrounds, and expressed that the civil bar has appreciated receiving a fair assessment in his court. Of 33 cases that have been appealed, six of Reynolds’ rulings were deemed in error.
If victorious, Quagge expressed a desire to preside over a split docket. He stated he is not concerned about exhibiting prosecutorial bias and would focus on rehabilitation. Quagge linked motivations behind crimes to factors such as housing instability, untreated mental health issues, or untreated substance abuse. He believes it is "important for judges to have empathy for everybody in the courtroom, to include the criminal defendant." His long-term goal, as a veteran, is to preside over the district’s Veteran Treatment Court, which he described as highly effective but in need of additional resources, such as more bed space for inpatient treatment or providers, due to an overloaded system.
In terms of campaign finances, Quagge had raised $145,000 and retained approximately $110,000 in the bank as of the July reporting period. His endorsements include Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson (his supervisor), PLAN Action, Nevada National Organization for Women (NOW) PAC, various veterans groups, and labor organizations such as Culinary Local 226, SEIU Nevada, AFL-CIO, Southern Nevada Central Labor Council, and Teamsters Nevada.
Reynolds reported raising $483,000 with $370,000 on hand during the same reporting period, stating he is "just trying to raise as much as I can to be successful in the race." His endorsements include a dozen law enforcement unions, the Asian American Group, Hispanics in Politics, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Veterans in Politics, Laborers 720, and the Third Branch PAC. Reynolds stated he was invited to interview by Pauline Lee of the NRC and was unaware that the Third Branch PAC is funded exclusively by the Nevada Republican Club, noting it was his understanding they "try to make it a bipartisan effort."
In the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Judging the Judges 2025 survey, 73% of 189 attorneys who evaluated Reynolds indicated he should be retained. His highest score in the survey was for administrative ability, while his lowest score was for legal ability. Reynolds expressed satisfaction with the rating, pointing out that he tells "no" to half of the people who appear before him. He also indicated he does not place significant stock in the ratings, citing a comment that suggested he needed to be tougher on crime, despite never having handled a criminal case, suggesting some evaluators may not have been familiar with his docket or work.