Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony Has Recorded Historically High Travel Expenses and Won’t Be Endorsing in 2026.
Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony with Commissioner Alexis Hill who’s running against his pal the governor. Will Anthony endorse Councilmember Charlene Bybee who is running for Sparks Mayor and endorsed his bestie Commissioner Charlene Bybee.
Back in 2024, Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony found time to endorse Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola—but somehow couldn’t find the time, or the inclination, to support District 1 Republican Marsha Berkbigler in her race against Commissioner Alexis Hill.
You may remember Alexis Hill. She’s now running for governor.
So the question lingers: why didn’t Anthony reach out to Berkbigler? No public explanation. No quiet show of support. Just… nothing.
Fast forward to 2026, and the mystery deepens.
At an event in Incline Village, Anthony was overheard explaining that he doesn’t really have to deal with endorsements anymore because he has an opponent and needs to stay focused on his own race. A convenient position—especially for someone who seemed perfectly capable of weighing in when it suited him.
Apparently, endorsements are a luxury item. Some candidates qualify. Others don’t.
Which brings us back to Andriola. What is it exactly that makes her endorsement-worthy while other Republicans are left twisting in the wind? Is it timing? Chemistry? Political pheromones? The governor appointed her (and we hear he’s sorry now).
We ponder.
Because for a party that often talks about unity, consistency, and supporting Republicans up and down the ballot, the selective silence is hard to ignore. Endorsements matter—until they don’t. Principles apply—until they’re inconvenient.
And if nothing else, it’s a reminder that in Nevada politics, who gets support often has less to do with the letter next to their name and more to do with who’s standing closest to the microphone at the right moment.
But with all the money the Lt. Governor has spent on his part-time job, one ponders how much an endorsement from Anthony would gain a candidate in 2026.
According to a Nevada Independent investigation, Anthony’s office posted its largest travel budget ever in his first year, with travel expenses totaling over $34,000 in just his first six months — more than most years in the past decade-plus for the office.
Those trips included domestic travel across the U.S. and international travel to places like Germany and Mexico. Much of that travel is tied to his role in tourism promotion — since the lieutenant governor chairs the Nevada Commission on Tourism — as well as legislative and economic development duties.
What that means in practice:
Unlike many statewide offices, Anthony treats the position as a full-time job and has leaned heavily into travel as part of his duties.
The travel spending isn’t an isolated number but part of a larger travel budget that grew sharply compared with past offices.
A few notes to keep in mind:
The lieutenant governor’s job is not technically full-time under state law, and the salary reflects that status.
Some travel (especially international trips) may be sponsored by outside organizations rather than paid directly from taxpayers.
But the real question is this a big old waste of taxpayer dollars, yet again. We’ll ask the Lt. Governor the next time he dodges us at an Incline Village event.