Michele Fiore, who has been mired in controversy, was trailing other candidates competing for her seat in Pahrump Justice Court, according to initial results released Tuesday.
Fiore, who ran despite being suspended from the bench and facing disciplinary charges, was pardoned by President Donald Trump in April 2025 after a federal jury found her guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy charges.
As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Michael Foley was leading with 40.8 percent of the vote, followed by Scott Oakley with 26.6 percent and Fiore with 23 percent, according to data released by Nye County.
If one of the candidates ultimately receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, they will win outright. But if no one surpasses the 50 percent threshold, the two top-performing candidates will advance to a run-off election in November.
Foleyhas served as a pro tem justice of the peace during Fiore’s suspension. Oakley works as a therapist. A fourth candidate, Richard Hamilton, had 9.7 percent of the vote as of Tuesday night.
Federal prosecutors said Fiore raised tens of thousands of dollars for a statue honoring Metropolitan Police Department officer Alyn Beck, who was shot and killed with his partner in 2014.
The statue was built, but paid for by developer Olympia Companies, according to trial testimony. Prosecutors said Fiore spent the donations on personal expenses, including rent, plastic surgery and her daughter’s wedding.
Despite the guilty verdict, she has cast herself as the victim of malicious federal authorities.
Campaign advertising for Fiore asserted: “They attacked her. She fought back. President Trump stood with Judge Fiore.”
She had no trouble funding her campaign. She reported $125,000 in contributions in April, including a loan of more than $95,000 to herself.
In April, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline charged her with violating judicial conduct rules based on her actions related to the statue scheme and the jury’s verdict against her.
Those charges came after the Nevada Supreme Court upheld her suspension.
“Judge Fiore’s ongoing wrongful retention of the donations and unjust enrichment creates in reasonable minds a perception that Judge Fiore’s honesty, impartiality, temperament or fitness to serve as a judge is adversely affected,” wrote Thomas Donaldson, a special counsel for the commission.
Fiore’s attorney, Paola Armeni, has sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the charges from the commission improperly rely on conduct that predates her time as a judge.
Multiple voters at the Bob Ruud Community Center in Pahrump said in interviews that they considered themselves supporters of Trump but chose not to vote for Fiore.
“I don’t vote for felons. I’ve worked very closely with her in the courtroom,” Theo Eisenloffel said. “I used to be law enforcement. I don’t believe that she knows what she’s doing. I don’t believe in her politics. And I certainly don’t believe in her statements that she was not guilty when she was found guilty in a court of law.”
James Griggs said he had voted for Fiore in the past but did not do so this election.
“I just feel like there’s too much controversy going on around her,” he said. “She might be a fantastic candidate, but with all the stuff that’s going on, it’s really tough for her to do her job.”
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Pahrump Valley Times reporter Elijah Dulay contributed to this report.
