The filing season for judicial candidates officially opened Tuesday. And the first three to put their names in the hat are women seeking election to the Nevada Supreme Court.
If all three win their races and join Justice Kris Pickering, it will be the first time in state history a majority of the justices are women.
Lidia Stiglich is already one of Nevada’s seven justices. She was appointed in November 2016 to fill the District G seat vacated by the retirement of Nancy Saitta.
Abbi Silver, currently one of three members of the Intermediate Appellate Court, filed in District F, currently held by the retiring Michael Douglas.
Finally, Elissa Cadish, currently a Clark County District Judge, filed in District C, which will be vacated next year by the retirement of Justice Michael Cherry.
Stiglich was appointed to the Washoe County District bench in 2012 and won the seat in her own right in 2014. She was appointed to fill out Saitta’s term and is now seeking the post in her own right.
Stiglich also served as probate judge in Washoe County and was the co-founder and presiding judge of the Youth Offender Drug Court.
Cadish has been a district judge in Southern Nevada since 2007. Prior to that she was in private practice specializing in commercial litigation and employment law until appointed to the bench by Gov. Jim Gibbons.
Silver has been a judge at every level in Nevada except the Supreme Court. She began in 2003 as a municipal judge then moved to the JP bench in 2007 and the district court in 2009 before being appointed to the newly created appellate court in 2014 and winning that seat in the 2016 elections.
Candidate filing for non-judicial offices opens in March.