Husband and wife both run for elected offices this midterm
By Jaclyn Schultz
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada (KVVU) — For millions of Nevadans voting, this week was a civic duty. But for one local couple Election Day was a family affair. The Larsens both ran for office at the same time.
“My wife was my biggest fan,” said Flemming Larsen. “So for myself, I made the decision actually to run first, back in February,” his wife, April Larsen added.
The couple has made Lake Las Vegas and the valley home for a decade and run Larsen’s Steakhouses from the headquarters here.
Covid hit their business hard and they both were inspired to hit the campaign trail.
April, as the Republican candidate for Nevada Senate District 21, and Flemming the republican candidate for the state’s Assembly District 12.
“It’s like being at home, the wife’s the boss. and if we were to go to Carson City, she’s a senator. and I’m the assemblyman. So she’d be the boss in Carson City as well. so I succumb to that,” Flemming admitted.
“Running for a senate you kind of you’d like to have a companion because these are people that are in your district,” April explained.
“We didn’t quite realize that there had never really been another couple that ran for seats simultaneously in the same round in Clark County,” she said.
But it has been done before in the Nevada legislature by the Hansens.
Nevada state senator Ira Hansen of District 14 and state assemblywoman Alexis Hansen, of District 32, of northern Nevada and Sparks.
The Larsens asked them for advice, too.
We have a very good foundation in our marriage. and I think that’s where it starts. she’s, she’s my biggest fan. I’m her biggest fan. so I really made it an easy transition. and it really made it easy to campaign with her. it’s my look at her makes it a lot easier,” Flemming said.
“I would say that campaigning together was actually really easy, considering he was half of the senate district. Then we would divide and conquer,” April responded.
“The only issue I have is whenever we go somewhere, she always speaks first and we’re pretty much on the same platform. So it’s hard to come up with new material and it’s hard to follow,” he said.
“There’s always stressful moments. I think that the fact that we’re both in it together, there’s a level of understanding,” April explained.
I don’t see it being a conflict of interest. I really don’t, ya know, we, we really care about our neighborhoods, we really care about crime, we really care about schools, and we really care about our economy. you know, we both feel the same way,” he said.
“You had a couple of people that would pop up with, there must be a lot of money to be made in the legislation if you’re running as a couple,” she added.
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