A Democratic candidate for Nevada attorney general has expressed opposition to the state’s current Attorney General, Aaron Ford, regarding his clemency efforts for Norman Smith, who was convicted of murdering a pregnant woman. This information was shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation on Tuesday.
Ford is campaigning against Republican Governor Joe Lombardo in the gubernatorial race. He hasn’t clarified his reasons for supporting clemency for Smith, who fatally shot Tineshea Adams during a robbery while out on bail for other charges. Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democratic state senator, stated that she would not have backed Smith’s clemency petition.
“As a former prosecutor who dealt with gangs and violent crime, I disapprove of this decision,” Cannizzaro mentioned to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Another opponent, Adriana Guzman Fralick, echoed Cannizzaro’s sentiments, declaring she would not endorse the clemency proposal and attempted to link Cannizzaro to Ford. “Let me be clear – I would not have sponsored Norman Smith’s clemency case,” Fralick stated on social media. “Smith killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child, and Aaron Ford thinks he should be back on our streets. Voters need to know if Cannizzaro will advocate for this killer’s release if she is elected.”
Ford did not respond to requests for clarification regarding his support for Smith’s commutation.
Cannizzaro has 11 years of experience as a prosecutor in the Clark County District Attorney’s office, including a role as chief deputy in the gang unit. She has garnered support from major law enforcement groups in Nevada.
The clemency application was ultimately denied by the Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners, and Ford was absent from the hearing he intended to attend. When questioned about the clemency support, he deflected inquiries, suggesting he was unaware of the specifics.
Under the rules of the Board of Pardons, an inmate’s clemency request can only be heard after a board member sponsors it. Ford’s involvement allowed Smith’s application to proceed to a full hearing. Notably, Smith’s request was the sole commutation Ford supported in 2026.
In 2015, Smith was free on bail and faced multiple charges for armed robbery, during which he claimed self-defense in the murder of Adams. Initially charged with murder, he was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter and armed robbery.
Lombardo has criticized Ford’s approach to criminal justice and public safety, while Ford’s campaign faced scrutiny for using old endorsements in advertisements, despite Kallas, a former police association president, endorsing Lombardo in this election.
Recent polls show Ford and Lombardo in a tight race, with Ford leading by a narrow margin according to RealClearPolling averages and Emerson surveys.
