NFA Endorses Tammy Peterson for State Senate

Today, the Nevada Faculty Alliance endorsed Tammy Peterson for State Senate, in Clark County District 8. The Alliance, which represents higher education faculty and professional staff at all eight institutions of the Nevada System of Higher Education, announced that its 15-member state board voted unanimously to endorse on the recommendation of its Southern endorsement committee. The state board's endorsement cited her "independent thinking" and her commitment to "preserving and building our System of Higher Education" as the "key to Nevada's future."

"Tammy Peterson made clear to us that she understands the importance of higher education for our region and our state," said NFA vice-president Gregory Brown, a UNLV History Professor, who co-chairs the endorsement committee. "She talked with great knowledge and passion about her vision of creating economic opportunities, more informed and engaged citizens and a better quality of life in southern Nevada and across the state. She made clear that a high-quality system of higher education is central to that vision."

Tammy Peterson was born and raised in Las Vegas. As a daughter of a middle school principal and a district attorney, Tammy was taught firsthand the value of community service. After graduating from Valley High School, Tammy earned her BA in economics from UCLA. Tammy went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Arizona. Tammy returned home to Nevada to clerk for the Honorable Philip M. Pro of the United States District Court of Nevada. After clerking for the Federal court, Tammy served as a prosecutor for the Clark County Special Victims unit, focusing on cases of child sexual abuse, assault and child homicide. Tammy is now a litigation partner at Jones Vargas.

The Alliance's endorsement found this broad background "very appealing," said Brown. "It was clear to us that she is someone who can understand a broad range of viewpoints, work across traditional dividing lines and get things done. We're going to need people in state government who understand that 'no' is not a plan, and that no single interest group, party or ideology has all the answers. As academics, we really value breadth of mind, and Tammy clearly has it."

“I am deeply honored by this endorsement. I am running for the State Senate to continue making a difference in the lives of every Nevadan,” said Peterson. “I am running to make sure that we have great schools at every level. If we are going to get Nevada’s economy back on track, we need to invest in higher education, ensuring we have a workforce ready to fill the needs of our businesses and businesses yet to come to Nevada.”

The Nevada Faculty Alliance is the state chapter of the American Association of University Professors, with chapters on all eight campuses of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Its political action committee is a non-partisan committee of NFA members, who have a long tradition of showing support for candidates of any party or region who support affordable access to quality higher education in Nevada and for the faculty and professional staff who deliver that quality affordably to the state.