Steve Evenson said his decision to run for Pershing County district attorney comes at the right time for both his own career and the community he hopes to serve.
Evenson, a longtime Nevada attorney, is seeking the office after his primary opponent, Stephen Girardot, dropped out of the race and endorsed him. Evenson said he is grateful for the support he has received so far and is looking ahead to the general election.
“I think it’s important that the people in Lovelock have a district attorney that is committed to the community,” Evenson said. “I think that I am ready to change my own practice and lifestyle, and I think those two things have created an opportunity that works for me and hopefully works out for the voters of Pershing County.”
Evenson said he has spent years building a private legal practice based almost entirely on referrals and trust.
“I don’t even have a website, and I get new clients every day,” he said. “Those referrals and the trust that is placed in me by people throughout Nevada is amazing. But I have done it for a very long time, and I’m ready to make a change and excited for the opportunity to be district attorney.”
The Pershing County district attorney’s office handles both criminal prosecution and civil legal work for local government. Evenson said he understands the job is not limited to the courtroom. The office also advises county officials on issues such as zoning and planning, human resources, utilities, water and other matters that come before county government.
“You hope that in a town and a county the size of Lovelock that the civil work is not overwhelming,” Evenson said. “There are obviously going to be zoning and planning issues. There’s going to be human resource issues. There’s going to be issues with utilities and issues with water and these things that come across the desk.”
He said he believes the work can be managed with the right structure and staff.
“Hopefully, by having a quality deputy district attorney in the office, I will be able to balance and do all the work that needs to get done,” he said. “I don’t see anything there that I haven’t worked with or that makes me scared.”
Evenson said one of the major issues facing Pershing County is economic development, particularly how the county prepares for growth while protecting the rural quality of life residents value.
“Economic development is always an issue,” he said. “Making sure that the zoning and planning codes are ready for that. Making sure that whatever vision the county commissioners and the City Council have for what they want the communities to look like is properly implemented under the zoning and planning regulations we have.”
He said the county should be thoughtful about what kind of growth fits Lovelock and Pershing County.
“I think it’s to make sure that we preserve our rural quality of life and the amazing benefits that we have from living in Lovelock versus being stagnant and not growing,” Evenson said. “Also, what that growth means and what that looks like.”
He said some types of development may not be the right fit, while others are more aligned with the community’s future.
“Is it data centers? Probably not. Is it salmon farms? Probably not,” he said. “Is it housing and manufacturing and ranching and farming? Those things all sound better.”
The question, Evenson said, is how local government helps make appropriate growth possible.
“What’s the mechanics of getting those things to happen?” he said. “And how can I, as district attorney, help those along?”
Evenson said he appreciates the support that has already been communicated to him by residents and hopes to earn that support through both the primary and general election cycles.
“I appreciate the overwhelming support that has been communicated to me so far by so many people,” he said. “I am hopeful that I have their support through the primary and the general.”
With his primary opponent no longer actively seeking the office and having endorsed him, Evenson said he is now focused on the next stage of the campaign.
“I am thankful that Mr. Gerardo, in essence, dropped out of the race and endorsed me,” Evenson said. “My primary opponent endorsed me, and I am looking forward to a robust general election cycle.”
Evenson will face the newly hired DA, Derrick Penney, who was hired to fill the position left vacant when former DA Bryce Sheilds was appointed to the 11th Judicial District Court position.
Comment
Comments