Matthew Winterhawk

Matthew Winterhawk was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He earned a high school diploma from Benson Union High School. He graduated from Johnson County Community College in 2001. His career experience includes co-founding the SmartSlaps™ Foundation and managing Wujia RA Limited, a family-owned music and media label.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Winterhawk a father, husband, and Nevadan who’s tired of the corruption and theater in politics. I’m not a career politician; I’m a builder, a doer, and someone who knows what it’s like to live under the weight of broken systems. I’ve started businesses, helped schools directly, and fought for community-based solutions when others just talked. I’m running for governor to restore truth, efficiency, and accountability in our government. I will create the Department of Government Efficiency on Day One, so Nevadans know exactly where their tax dollars go. I’m also a strong advocate for real education not indoctrination and I will fight to protect our land, resources, and public safety. I represent everyday Nevadans, not lobbyists. I’m not running to gain power. I’m running to give it back to the people. Battle Born. Nevada First. Always.

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?

Efficiency and Transparency from Day One.

I’ll launch a Department of Government Efficiency to eliminate waste, expose backroom deals, and track every tax dollar spent. Nevadans deserve to know where their money is going no more loopholes, no more fog. We’ll light up every corner of government spending and bring real accountability to Carson City.Real Education, Not Indoctrination.

Our kids deserve schools that teach them how to think not what to think. I will prioritize education that builds skills, values, and real-world knowledge while keeping politics and outside agendas out of the classroom. Parents and teachers should be the foundation of our education system, not activist consultants.Nevada-Owned Future.

I will fight to protect our land, water, and resources from foreign investors and federal overreach. Our sovereignty must come first. Nevada shouldn’t be up for sale and I’ll make sure our future stays in the hands of Nevadans.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m deeply passionate about government reform, education, and protecting state sovereignty. I believe in empowering local communities, ending political theater, and exposing wasteful spending. I’m driven to protect children from indoctrination, ensure parents have a voice in schools, and return accountability to every department. I’m equally focused on restoring trust in law enforcement and defending Nevada’s rights over our land and water. Our state is not a playground for outside interests it’s our home, and I’ll treat it that way.

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

George Carlin, my father, and Ricky Gervais sadly, only one of the three is still here. Carlin taught me to question everything, to cut through the lies with humor and brutal honesty. My father taught me to work hard, stay grounded, and never let pride get in the way of doing what’s right. Ricky Gervais? He reminds me to keep laughing, even when the truth stings. Each of them stood for honesty over popularity, and that’s exactly the kind of example I want to follow.

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

“Common Sense” by Thomas Paine because truth is timeless. Also, “Schoolhouse Rock!” believe it or not, it taught more civics than most public schools do today. If we don’t teach power to the people, we lose the people’s power.

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

Integrity, transparency, and backbone. I don’t care if you make mistakes I care if you lie about them. The people want real, flawed, honest leadership. That’s what I am. And that’s who I’ll always be.

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

I don’t speak in rehearsed talking points. I speak from experience. I’ve worked with my hands, built my own path, raised a family, and stood up when others stayed silent. I’m relentless when it comes to the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. I don’t owe favors to lobbyists, I’m not backed by billionaires, and I won’t play politics with people’s lives. What I bring is integrity, grit, and the courage to say what needs to be said not what polls well. I’m not here to impress the system. I’m here to fix it.

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

The governor is the people’s last line of defense. Your job is to protect freedoms, cut corruption, ensure safety, and give every citizen a fair shot. It’s not about photo ops or fake promises it’s about results.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to restore what we were all promised as kids truth, humanity, accountability, and a sense of ownership over our actions. I want to help bring back a culture where law and order mean something, where failures are owned, and where leaders answer to the people. My goal is to leave this world better than I found it not just for my sake, but so my kids can carry the boulders when I’m gone, with pride and purpose, knowing their father didn’t fold, didn’t sell out, and didn’t stay silent.

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

I’ll never forget 9/11. I was on my way to work and stopped to fill up my gas tank. I didn’t notice anything unusual at first until the pump, mid-fill, jumped from a dollar-something per gallon to hundreds. I walked inside, told the clerk his machine was broken. He looked at me and said, “You didn’t see the news?” We stood there me, the gas station owner, and a few strangers—glued to the screen, watching in horror as the towers fell. That moment sticks with me because everything changed our country, our unity, our trust. It reminded me how fragile peace is, and how important leadership becomes when everything’s falling apart. I was only 18

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

My first job was in the summer when I was just 9 years old, working insulation jobs in sweltering Midwest attics. It was rural Kansas, 90% humidity, and no shortcuts just grit, sweat, and long days under a blazing roofline. It wasn’t legal, it wasn’t easy, but it taught me the value of hard work, sacrifice, and earning every dollar by showing up when it matters most.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I’ve read too many to pick just one but as a kid, no author hit me like Shel Silverstein. His words were simple but deep, playful but wise. Books like Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree taught me that imagination, emotion, and truth can all live in the same sentence. That foundation shaped the way I see the world through honesty, wonder, and the belief that even the smallest stories can carry the biggest truths.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Honestly, I wouldn’t be anyone but myself even in a fictional world. I’ve never relied on anyone else to define me, and I don’t need a fantasy to feel powerful or important. Fiction has its place, but I’ve always believed that you can’t believe what you know, and you can’t know what you believe. I’d rather face the truth head-on than escape into someone else’s story. My story’s enough and it’s just getting started.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

“Where Is the Love?” by the Black Eyed Peas. I keep wondering where is the music like that today? Songs that actually said something, challenged the world, and called for unity. That track hit different, and it still does. It’s a reminder of what we’ve lost and what we need to fight to get back.

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

My passion and blunt honesty. I don’t sugarcoat, and sometimes that rubs people the wrong way. I speak from the heart with expletives if necessary but always with good intentions. You may not like how I say it, but you can’t deny what I said. I’ve been avoided my whole life because I reflect uncomfortable truths like a mirror. No filter, just facts. It’s a challenge, but it’s also why I’ll never be part of the political machine.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

Protecting our land, restoring education, and ending political waste. We need a governor who isn’t afraid to say “no” to DC and “yes” to Nevadans. That’s what I’ll do.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

The governor should be hands-on and fully involved. The people expect leadership that can read a budget, not just sign one. I believe in direct oversight, full transparency, and open public reporting of all state spending. My administration will launch a Department of Government Efficiency to ensure that every tax dollar is justified, traceable, and beneficial to Nevadans not hidden behind lobbyists and bureaucracy.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

Line-item vetoes are a surgical tool not a weapon. I’ll use them to cut waste, kill corrupt pork, and protect the public from bloated spending. But every cut I make will come with a public explanation. No backroom decisions. No hidden motives. Just fiscal responsibility and honesty.

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

Mutual respect, not mutual favors. The governor should work with legislators of both parties to get things done but not at the cost of accountability. My door will always be open, but so will the cameras. I will collaborate when it benefits Nevadans and push back hard when it doesn’t.

What do you love most about your state?

Nevadans don’t quit. We’ve built this state through grit, independence, and unity across our differences. From our desert towns to our mountain ranges, from our veterans to our visionaries we stand proud. I love our spirit, our heritage, and our refusal to be anyone’s puppet.

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

Federal overreach, political corruption, and mismanaged growth. Nevada risks being swallowed by interests that don’t represent us from foreign land buyers to federal agencies trying to regulate our rights. We must protect our water, schools, safety, and economic freedom or we risk losing what makes Nevada worth fighting for.

Tell us your favorite joke.

“I’m not mad I’m right. You mistake my passion for feelings.”

That one always sticks with me. People confuse conviction with anger, or honesty with hostility. But the truth doesn’t always come with a smile sometimes it comes with fire. And that fire is what makes real change possible.

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

Only in real, clearly defined emergencies natural disasters, public infrastructure collapse, or a legitimate threat to public safety. Emergency powers should come with expiration clauses, full transparency, and legislative checks. No permanent mandates. No political abuse. Ever again.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have and various citizens on social media.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I’m building a Department of Government Efficiency for exactly this reason. Taxpayers should know how every single dollar is spent not buried in PDFs or hidden behind bureaucracy. We’ll make corruption uncomfortable again.

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

I support improving access and transparency in the ballot initiative process. I’d allow secure digital signature collection to empower more citizen participation while requiring clear summaries and full financial disclosure of who’s funding both sides. This process belongs to the people not to PACs and consultants.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean to you?

It means you serve every Nevadan not just donors, not just your base. It means you’re on the hook when things go wrong, and you give credit when others do right. You are not above the people you’re beneath them, lifting them up.