Joseph P. Silvestri

Silvestri grew up on Long Island, New York. He graduated from North Babylon High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York, New Paltz in 1989 and a graduate degree from the State University of New York, Stonybrook in 1993. His career experience includes working as a geography teacher and as a realtor for Realty Success Systems, Ltd.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Republican candidate for NV Assembly District 3

Dad, teacher, ocean lifeguard (retired), libertarian, Cultural Christian, MAGA, athlete, surfer, Ultimate Frisbee, motorcyclist, plenty more but won't bore you!

Joe grew up on Long Island, New York. After obtaining his B.A. from SUNY College at New Paltz and his M.A. from SUNY at Stonybrook, Joe moved to Las Vegas in 1997. He has worked for the Clark County School District as an educator for almost 30 years. Joe has had experience working many different and interesting jobs throughout his life, including working as a Real Estate agent in Las Vegas. His favorite job has been the 32 years he worked as an Ocean Lifeguard at several beaches on Long Island. Today, his favorite activity is surfing, preferably with his two grown children!

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?

Educational Reform

Our kids deserve better than failing public schools monopolized by unions. I'll lead the charge to break up the Clark County School District bureaucracy and establish Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for true school choice. This libertarian approach empowers parents, not politicians, aligning with MAGA's focus on excellence and accountability. No more one-size-fits-all indoctrination — let's put students first.

Dismantle the oversized CCSD into smaller, accountable districts for localized control.

Fund ESAs so parents can choose public, private, charter, or homeschool options with their tax dollars. Nevada once led in this area, and we can again!

Expand Nevada's great charter schools program.Keeping our Communities Safe

Nevada deserves safe streets where families can thrive without fear. As a staunch supporter of law and order, I'll prioritize backing our police and ensuring criminals face swift justice — no more soft-on-crime policies that let repeat offenders walk free.

America was built on immigration, but not everybody who wants to come has our best interests at heart. I support policies that secure our borders to stop the flow of drugs and human trafficking that plagues Las Vegas.

I intend to:

Fully fund law enforcement.

Crack down on gangs with mandatory minimums.

Promote community watch programs and Second Amendment rights for personal protection.

Oppose defund-the-police nonsense.Lowering the Cost of Living

Skyrocketing prices for healthcare, gas, and rent are crushing Las Vegas families — government overregulation is to blame. I'll advance free-market reforms to drive down costs, and oppose all the many wasteful big-government interventions that raise costs for Nevada's families. I aim to put Nevada First by slashing red tape and fostering competition. I intend to:

Deregulate healthcare markets to allow cross-state insurance purchases and expand HSAs for consumer choice.

Fight federal mandates on energy that raise gas prices — promote Nevada's natural resources for affordable fuel.

Reform zoning laws to increase housing supply, making rent more affordable without subsidies.

Cut sales taxes on essentials.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, crime, and affordability are the areas of public policy I'm most passionate about. Being a long time educator has brought me a great deal of experience and expertise that I hope to bring to the Legislature.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

It's a strange mix, to be sure, but I have great admiration for Scott Adams, Charlie Kirk, and Malcolm X. I've been positively influenced by many people (both those I've personally known, as well as historical figures). The list is long, and I don't have the space to delve deep into all the people I respect. Perhaps I'll develop some short videos for my campaign to share who and why.

Nobody is perfect, so accepting someone's shortcomings while still being influenced by their positive attributes is a good practice to live by.

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

Integrity foremost. We need good people (competent yes), but more importantly, we need good people to serve. Like many folks, I'm tired of dishonest, unprincipled, grifting politicians "serving" in office, but all to often, only serving themselves. I'm not in this for money, fame, power, or anything other than to offer myself to do a job that most (rightly) find distasteful. I'd rather be happily retired, but I feel compelled at this stage in my life to step up and try to make a positive change in our government.

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

I did some research on this question before I provided an incomplete, or poorly worded response. Here's my take:

The core responsibilities of a Nevada Assembly member are to faithfully represent the people of their district, craft and vote on legislation that advances the long-term interests of Nevada, exercise careful stewardship of public resources, and provide accessible constituent service—all while operating within the constraints of a part-time, citizen legislature.

I'll do my best with that focus.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As an Assemblyman, I'd hope my legacy would be that I represented the people of Nevada and District 3 with integrity, and with success in improving the lives of the people.

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

Paper boy - a few years in late elementary school. Becoming responsible and working hard at any early age prepared me well for life.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Depression has been something I've learn to master as I've grown older, and hopefully wiser. Today, I don't let it affect me.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Ideally, the Governor and the Legislature will work cooperatively to address the needs of the people of Nevada. I'll try and do that as an Assemblyman.

In reality, politics is often (usually) full of conflict, as different parties and individuals have conflicting ideas about what to do, and how to do it. I recognize this reality, and hope my participation will help the Legislature to pass good bi-partisan bills that the Governor will support.

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

Continuing to diversify the economy to produce long term stability and growth for the people of Nevada. Education is a priority for me, and I hope to advance policy that will benefit the educational opportunities for families in Nevada and District 3.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is necessary in life, including policymaking. I hope to strike a good balance between advocating for the people I represent while working with other policymakers to produce good legislation.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

As a child, my parents took the family to watch one of the Space launches at Cape Canaveral, Florida. I was very young, but I remember watching it with my family. It was early 1970s.