Erich Obermayr

Erich Obermayr was born in Baraboo, Wisconsin. He earned a high school diploma from El Paso High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in 1986.

As of 2024, Obermayr was retired. He previously worked as a field archaeologist, in cultural resource management, and in historic and archaeological public interpretation.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My 75 years have given me a deep understanding and appreciation for the challenges and triumphs of everyday life: putting food on the table, making the rent or house payment, and guiding the children to a bright, successful future.

In my time, I have been a dishwasher, factory laborer, janitor, and construction worker, to name a few. I found a trade at age 16 as a field archaeologist, which led to a career studying and writing about Nevada history and archaeology. I ran a small business producing interpretive signs, books, and pamphlets which shared the results of these studies with the public.

I know what it is like to work for minimum wage, earn a comfortable professional living, and everything in between. And I’ve experienced the satisfaction of having my own business and being my own boss.

My wife Meg and I are 30-year residents of Silver City, Nevada, on the Comstock in Lyon County. We built a house here, raised our daughter, and are proud, contributing members to one of Nevada’s best and strongest communities.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

District 39 needs an Assemblyman who understands that the job is to advance economic opportunity, health, education, and public safety for all Nevadans, as well as protecting our democratic republic and the rights and freedoms we enjoy under it. It requires standing on principle, and also bipartisanship, compromise, and respect for the ideas of others.Open our primary elections to all voters by giving non-partisans their choice of party ballots in the primaries. Under our closed primary system, only party members can participate in primary elections. This disenfranchises 27% of voters in District 39 just because they don’t belong to a political party. The right to vote should include more than choosing from a list of candidates. It should include deciding who’s on the list in the first place.Women have the inalienable right to control their own health care. Reproductive decisions are theirs and theirs alone, not the government’s. Nevada State Law allows abortion within the first 24 weeks of gestation, or after to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman. The 2019 Trust Nevada Women Act decriminalized medication abortions and removed antiquated consent laws. Legislation in 2023 codified an order barring Nevada officials from assisting out of state investigations of their own residents seeking abortion care in Nevada. I fully support these laws and also the proposed Nevada Reproductive Rights Amendment. This will, if approved by voters and confirmed in 2026, make access to abortion a permanent, constitutional right.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Mass shootings happen every day in our country, and gun violence is the leading cause of death for our children, and no day goes by without reports of police officers being shot. This is intolerable. The answer lies in bi-partisan legislation that respects responsible gun ownership, isolates irresponsible, unfit, or illegal gun owners, and keeps firearms out of their hands.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Oath and Honor, by Liz Cheney. Explains what has to happen, what good people have to do, if our Constitution is to survive this moment in history.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Commitment to getting things done for your constituents, no matter what their politics. Always asking exactly how proposed legislation would affect the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, what problems it would solve, what benefits it would bring. The ability to disagree without disrespecting the ideas of others, and the integrity and intelligence to balance principle with compromise.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Even-tempered, willing to listen, have a fundamental respect for people. And I never give up.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The overarching responsibility, no matter what the issue, is to make sure the purposes and results of legislation are based on a fundamental commitment to fairness and equality.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of John Kennedy. I was 15.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Field archaeologist. Lasted one summer.

What is your favorite book? Why?

City of Trembling Leaves, by Walter Van Tilberg Clark. It describes the evolution of a composer, set in the area where I live. It takes place in the 1920s and 30s, a historical period I'm interested in. One of the main characters is also an artist, which relates back to my own family.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The single greatest challenge will be educating and training the next generation of Nevadans to take advantage of the opportunities available to them. The more effectively this can be done the more progress we will make in reducing the economic disparity--the gap between rich and poor--which handicaps too many young people as they start out in life.

We also face the challenges brought on by climate change. Nevada includes a variety of desert environments, from the Mojave Desert to high sage desert, but deserts just the same. Water is a particular vulnerability, vital to both agriculture and urban development. Extreme weather events such as drought or unbearably high temperatures are threats which must be dealt with. We must act to both reduce carbon emissions and protect against the impacts which are already happening.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. Experience and the knowledge of the inner workings of government and personal connections established through that experience are helpful. However, integrity, good sense, and the willingness to learn are more important in the long run.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. A Nevada Assemblyman is one of sixty-three legislators, so even the best idea won't go anywhere without support from others. Establishing relationships that can result in support for your ideas requires civility and respect for your colleagues, no matter what their positions or opinions.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Joe Dini. He represented Lyon County in the state legislature from 1967 to 2001. He was a Democrat in a Republican majority district, but was nevertheless re-elected numerous times because he was known for getting things done for his constituents.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

In a recent, tragic accident, a ten-year-old girl was struck and killed crossing a busy highway in my district. The road in question has been expanded over the years to a four-lane highway, despite the fact that it cuts a small community in half, resulting in numerous accidents as pedestrians try to cross. The child's mother presented her story at a town meeting, at which residents repeated long-standing complaints about the lack of a signaled intersection in their town. It showed just how important it was for small communities to have a voice within government. For example, an assemblyman who can bring pressure on government bureaucracies to take action in these situations.

Tell us your favorite joke.

An older fellow adapted well to using his cell phone. Too well, in fact. He had a habit of using it while driving which caused some concern among his adult children. So, they installed a hands-free phone in his car as a Father's Day present. He was very happily surprised. They tried it out in the driveway, and he caught on immediately. So off he went on the freeway to town to run some errands. Just then, his children all got an alert on their cell phones. There was a wrong-way driver on the freeway, and they quickly decided they had to warn their father. They dialed him up and, like before, he came on the line with no problem. "Dad," one of them said, "You've got to be careful, there's a wrong-way driver on the freeway." "Wrong way driver?" came the answer. "Hell, there's dozens of them!"

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would introduce a bill to appropriate state funds toward construction of a community center in a small town near where I live. Despite the obvious need, as well as many promises, our local government has failed to provide this crucial element of community life. It is, regrettably, now up to the state government to step in and resolve the situation.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency should be absolute. Elected officials have every right to make a living, and even prosper, but every penny needs to be accounted for in public so their constituents can judge for themselves if that official's actions are motivated by personal gain. Campaign contributions should receive the same scrutiny, and by no means should an elected official be allowed to conceal the source of their financial support.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

No changes are necessary.