Lisa Guzman

Lisa Guzman was a member of the Clark County School District Board of Trustees in Nevada, representing District A. She assumed office on January 4, 2021. She left office on January 6, 2025.

Guzman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Nevada State Senate to represent District 12. She lost in the Democratic primary on June 14, 2022.

Guzman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Lisa Guzman was born in Los Angeles, California. She earned a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University in 1998 and master's degrees from the University of Phoenix and Western Governors University in 2002 and 2018, respectively. Guzman's career experience includes working as the assistant executive director for the Nevada State Education Association, a paraeducator, ESL teacher, middle school teacher, adjunct professor, teacher quality specialist, and a field marketing specialist for the NEA Academy.^[1] Guzman has been affiliated with the Nevada State Education Association and the National Education Association.^[2]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Nevada State Senate District 12

Julie Pazina defeated Cherlyn Arrington in the general election for Nevada State Senate District 12 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Julie Pazina (D)	52.5	26,609
	Cherlyn Arrington (R)	47.5	24,104

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 50,713
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Nevada State Senate District 12

Julie Pazina defeated Lisa Guzman in the Democratic primary for Nevada State Senate District 12 on June 14, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Julie Pazina	58.1	5,008
	Lisa Guzman	41.9	3,605

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,613
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Nevada State Senate District 12

Cherlyn Arrington defeated April Arndt in the Republican primary for Nevada State Senate District 12 on June 14, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Cherlyn Arrington	57.3	4,588
	April Arndt	42.7	3,420

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,008
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Glen Leavitt (R)
Justin Minton (R)

2020

General election

General election for Clark County School District Board of Trustees District A

Lisa Guzman defeated Liberty Leavitt in the general election for Clark County School District Board of Trustees District A on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Guzman (Nonpartisan)	53.3	70,873
	Submit photo	Liberty Leavitt (Nonpartisan)	46.7	62,148

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 133,021
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Clark County School District Board of Trustees District A

The following candidates ran in the primary for Clark County School District Board of Trustees District A on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Guzman (Nonpartisan)	26.1	13,627
✔	Submit photo	Liberty Leavitt (Nonpartisan)	19.0	9,908
	Submit photo	Mike Rowe (Nonpartisan)	12.9	6,719
	Submit photo	Amanda Kennedy (Nonpartisan)	12.1	6,320
	Submit photo	Andrew Cartwright (Nonpartisan)	9.3	4,845
	Submit photo	Kari Deike (Nonpartisan)	7.9	4,147
	Submit photo	Jshauntae Marshall (Nonpartisan)	7.4	3,884
	Submit photo	Anand Nair (Nonpartisan)	5.3	2,779

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 52,229
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Lisa Guzman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Guzman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in New York in an educator and union household. My parents were teachers and union members, and my grandfather was also an organizer for the Lithographer Union. Growing up with such strong union values helped me become the person and advocate I am today.

I made my way out west to Arizona where I attended Arizona State University (ASU). Since education had been my calling; I received a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English as a Second Language K-12. After college, I pursued two Master’s degrees in Educational Technology and Business Leadership. I spent years inside of the classroom teaching 2nd, 4th, and Middle School English as a Second Language. As a teacher, I also found a second calling – union advocacy. In 2007, I left the classroom to be a union advocate for the Arizona Education Association. My mother felt it was apropos because unionism is in my blood. That new role allowed me to travel across the United States and teach teachers how to take professional development programs online. I was teaching teachers how to educate students online . After my time in Arizona, I moved to Nevada, as I was offered a position as Assistant Executive Director for the Nevada State Education Association. Each and every day, this position taps into my strengths and ability to empower Nevada educators. I have been married to my amazing husband for 32 years, and we have two grown sons.

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?

Public Education
Affordable Housing
Health Care

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about public education. To me everything that Democrats hold dear, starts with public education. Do you want people to know about green energy and jobs? Start in the classroom and teach it. Is affordable housing affecting your community? I bet it affecting the children that go to our schools. Is health care and issue? I would guess that children bring the school nurse what ails them and they receive the majority of their health care in schools. In order to give our kids the best we can, we need to start by fully funding public education. In order to get the hard work done, we need to start with schools. In order to retain educators, we need to provide affordable healthcare and housing. In order for our kids to be safe and healthy we have to have diversified jobs for their parents. Public education is where we start and how we change the economy and outlook in Nevada.

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

I look up to my Cathy. She is a selfless person. She has worked at a funeral home for years. She has made sure that families knew that she cares about their grief. She has worked with families through the pandemic and never complained. She knew that people were hurting. She is also the most fantastic mom to two amazing children. Her eldest is 28 and has down syndrome. She has made her friends and family recognize that her daughter is a gift. Her son is a Marine and she calls and text him all the time so that he knows we are all proud of him. She is a single mom and loves her life. I look up to her because I want people to know that I feel their grief. I want children to know they are a gift. I want our military to feel appreciated and loved every day. This is why I look up to Cathy.

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

I have a calm demeanor. I listen rather than speak. I want to hear all of the information, not just one side. I have been underestimated my entire career and I still come out and do the right thing.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To give seniors a place to live and not fearful of being evicted. I want union workers to know that they were represented. DETR fixed and people who lose their jobs actually receive a check. Education optimally funded and educators wanting to stay and teach our beautiful children.

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

My house burned down when I was 8 years old. It was the time when I found out what a community could do together. They rallied around my family. After that, my parents ensured that we would do something meaningful for the community where we lived. We were never to sign it because what we were doing good for the community without recognition.

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

My very first job was at Wendy's during the summer between my Junior and Senior year of high school. My Wendy's liked me so much, they ensured I would return. They told my dad that my sarcasm was funny and they liked that they always knew where they stood with me. I have not changed.

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

I think the Governor and the state legislature need to have open communication and share their goals. It cannot be that we are just working on the Governor's goals. It has to be shared. We need to understand that working collaboratively helps to get our goals and priorities done in the state of Nevada.

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

I think education funding, affordable housing, and healthcare are going to be a challenge. Senator Cannizzaro started the pathway for health care in Nevada. I think we need that type of bold action for affordable housing, and education funding also.

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

I think in this election the benefit of having experience and knowing what is at stake is critical for the election.

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

Yes, I think it is beneficial to build relationships in the legislature. This is so that we can work together on a common goal and support each other with the legislation.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I did not have specific committees that I wanted to be a part of when running for Trustee and I was fortunate to be appointed to the bond oversight committee and the AB469 committee. I think I will wait to see what assignment I receive so that I can be best senator for my district.

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

I believe that there is always a middle ground. What that looks like may feel different for others, but there is always a way to figure out a solution.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Lisa Guzman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Guzman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I graduated from Arizona State University in 1998 after working my way through college, graduating Magna Cum Laude. I have a master's from University of Phoenix in Educational Technology and a Business Leadership master's degree from Western Governor's University. I worked through college as a Title-One Aide. After graduating, I worked at an urban school as an English as a Second Language self-contained teacher, teaching 1st and 2nd grade ESL. After my second son was born, I worked in a rural district teaching 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade. I started my concentration on education advocacy in 2007. I have worked in the National Education Association state affiliates and their member benefits division. I have taught teachers how to teach online and provided support for educators to become Nationally Board Certified. I have lived in Henderson for five years working for the Nevada State Education Association as their Assistant Executive Director. I work and support all the NSEA programs around the state. For the last three years, I have specifically supported programs in the Clark County School District. I am married with two 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?

A school board should be transparent with their budget and conscious to keep cuts as far away from our students as possible.
In CCSD, the communication from the administration to staff is broken. CCSD also needs to improve communication to parents and the community. The board should ensure communication at all levels.
During COVID-19, there is fear of the unknown. CCSD staff, parents, and community members know that safe and healthy schools are imperative. The district should remember that the staff's working conditions are student learning conditions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Social Emotional Learning is something I am passionate about. Due to lack of funding by the state of Nevada, we do not have enough counselors, psychologists or psychiatrists at t the school level.

I am passionate about the Distributive School Account (DSA)state funding for education. During COVID-19 as a community we all recognized that education drives the economy. We have under funded education for too long. This will help with class size, filling open positions, creating equity, and having the best tools to educate our student.

Zoom and Victory schools are critical for CCSD to strive toward equality in education. I want to ensure that Nevada continues this grant funding.

Work on the pipeline for substitute to licensed educator as this has been a subject of consternation at the Clark County School District.

Work on the pipeline of other licensed personnel such as counselors, school nurses, speech language pathologists, school librarians, and occupational and physical therapists by providing the appropriate professional development and incentives to go into this line of work.

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

I am a consensus builder, and someone who believes you should not form an opinion without doing your research. I believe that feedback is a gift and not a criticism. I am able to talk to people without them feeling that I am passing judgement. I can read a budget and ask questions that assist the community to understand. I have more than 20 years of experience in education and educational policy.

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

I worked at Wendy's over the summer when I turned 16. I was invited to return every summer because they liked how direct I was with customers, reliable to show up for my shift, and how I made shifts fun. Managers would write to me while I was at school to ensure that I would return in the summer. When I graduated from high school, the management team was really sad I was leaving to go to college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Mrs. McBloom Clean Up your Classroom . This reminded me of how my mother retired, and my principal moved me into her room and she did not have to pack a box.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The school board member's primary job is to keep student achievement at the forefront of everything they do. They pass policy, approve programs, and budgets with this lens. They do this through setting clear expectations, holding the system accountable, building the collective will of the board and learning as a team.

Who are your constituents?

Voters in Henderson, Boulder City, Searchlight, and Laughlin

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Looking at district A, we have 21 out of 41 schools that are Title 1. We have 1 community in schools and one Victory school. Looking at those statistics I would want to improve the diversity in the staff and administrative pipeline. I think that the community wants this improvement. I would also want to have the community become more involved with our schools. Wrap around programs are critical to student achievement.

What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

Building a relationship with parents start at the school level. I want to attend PTA meetings, create online events for their input based on their school, and have an open door policy. Their input into what a board member does is how we can move this district forward. Parents know their children best and what is the way forward with their child's education. I want to be as inclusive as possible.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is getting in the way of quality education. It has cut funding, prevented students from getting services they desperately need, and created an educational gap that we all must tackle. I would address these obstacles first by reminding legislators that education is driving the economy in Nevada. If we want to ensure our economy grows, then funding in education cannot be cut. Lobbying in Carson City, creating relationships, and reminding everyone that education matters. The second way I want to address the obstacles is to ensure social and emotional help for the students. You cannot teach and facilitate Blooms taxonomy without addressing Maslow's Theory. As a community, we need to help schools get the social emotional services they need. The third thing the district needs to do and I need to address is that we need to fill positions within the district. The Clark County School District cannot say they #1 for Kids if they are not filling positions with certified personnel.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

It is difficult in Nevada to ensure that schools are properly funded because the state has a history of underfunding education. My strategy is to look for a new funding stream, for example, additional mining taxes that was passed during the special session. Ensuring and advocating for this is how Nevada starts in the right direction to fund schools. Nevada needs to diversify the funding because depending on gaming has hurt education in the last recession and now during the pandemic.
I would partner with organizations that also want to diversify funding for education. I would make sure that the legislators know that there is a political will to get this done.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

This is so critical in schools all this time, yet with this pandemic it is at the forefront. This pandemic has shone a light on mental health. Teachers, administrators, support professionals, students and parents have had a difficult time. Everyone needs aid in some way. I want to ensure that there is funding and personnel to assist. I am aware that the Clark County School District is working to provide mental health programs, and I want to support their work.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

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Candidate

Nevada State Senate District 12

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 8, 2020
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 10, 2022

[show]

Current members of the Nevada State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Nicole Cannizzaro

Minority Leader:Robin Titus

Senators

District 1

Michelee Crawford (D)

District 2

Edgar Flores (D)

District 3

Rochelle Nguyen (D)

District 4

Dina Neal (D)

District 5

Carrie Buck (R)

District 6

Nicole Cannizzaro (D)

District 7

Roberta Lange (D)

District 8

Marilyn Loop (D)

District 9

Melanie Scheible (D)

District 10

Fabian Donate (D)

District 11

Lori Rogich (R)

District 12

Julie Pazina (D)

District 13

Skip Daly (D)

District 14

Ira Hansen (R)

District 15

Angie Taylor (D)

District 16

Lisa Krasner (R)

District 17

Robin Titus (R)

District 18

John Steinbeck (R)

District 19

John Ellison (R)

District 20

Jeff Stone (R)

District 21

James Ohrenschall (D)

Democratic Party (13)

Republican Party (8)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 8, 2020

[bio2-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 10, 2022

[1]

[2]

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Lisa Guzman

Contents

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Nevada State Senate District 12

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Nevada State Senate District 12

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Nevada State Senate District 12

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

General election

General election for Clark County School District Board of Trustees District A

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Clark County School District Board of Trustees District A

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2024 Elections

2024 Election analysis

2025 Elections

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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