Sarah Judd
Republican candidate for governor of Nevada Jared Fisher visited Alamo as part of a listening tour.
On Oct. 20, Jared Fisher, one of the Republican candidates for governor of Nevada, rode into Pahranagat Valley on his second official Listening Tour. Alamo was one of the last two stops on his recent five-day tour of rural Nevada that started in Las Vegas and went through Pahrump, Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Goldfield, Tonopah, Rachel, Hiko, Alamo, Corn Creek, and then back home to Blue Diamond all on his bike. After the completion of this trip, along with his first Listening Tour, he has ridden 1,955 miles in Nevada.
Fisher started his first Listening Tour on his bike back in May when he kicked off his campaign. He rode for thirteen days through Lake Mead, Overton, Carp, Elgin, Caliente, Pioche, Panaca, Ely, Elko, Lamoille, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca, Mina, and Silver Peak. Along the way, he has talked to several businesses and community members, asking them questions and hearing their concerns for Nevada.
Fisher expressed, “You can know a state from 40,000 feet up, but you can also know Nevada from the ground. If anyone is going to be in charge of a state this big, they are going to need to get to know the state as well as feel it.”
Fisher and his wife Heather have roots from rural Nevada and southern Utah in Delta. His wife’s great-grandfather was Andrew Love, who managed horse ranches in Hiko back in 1866.
Both he and his wife own three bike shops and a tour company, Escape Adventures, that is powered by renewable energy. They have commercial structures that are Platinum and Gold LEED certified. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This means that they are environmentally friendly by producing less waste and more energy efficient.
For the past twenty-five years, Fisher has been interacting with the states surrounding Nevada, all the way down to New Mexico and up to Canada with his businesses.
When it comes to rural Nevada and Lincoln County, Fisher stressed, “Nevada is so ripe for being a leader in renewable energy. There is so much solar and geothermal energy potential that this state has and it would be a huge loss if that potential isn’t developed.”
Fisher also wants to support the trails being developed in Caliente and wants to help grow the outdoor tourism in the area and help revitalize downtowns.
When asked about his hope for Nevada he replied, “My hope is to strengthen rural Nevada and help connect it. I’d like to see rural Nevada get connected with high-speed internet access. I’d also like to see the towns and people receive more support.”
Fisher recounted how the residents of Nevada are super friendly and courteous and how this tour has given him the opportunity to meet really good people. He has enjoyed getting to know the natural resources of this state while exploring the backcountry of Mount Wilson, the Southern Nevada Water Authority ranches, the watershed of the Great Basin National Park and Cherry Creek.
Fisher also said he enjoyed participating in the Park to Park Pedal Extreme 100 at Kershaw-Ryan State Park on Oct.14. He has also learned information such as how Beatty does not have a school bus for their kids and how education in this state needs some changes. He believes more really good teachers are needed and that the administration is too top heavy.
Fisher stopped in the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel. He talked to several groups of people there including a motorcycle group, a father and son who work at Lake Mead, and some of the people who live near the inn. In Hiko, he helped a local man pump up his wheelbarrow tire and they talked about what it’s like to live in Hiko. In Alamo, he also talked to people at A Cowboy’s Dream bed and breakfast, which he noted was built by the same company who built two of Fisher’s buildings in Las Vegas. He also spent time at the Alamo Diner and swung by the football game against Beaver Dam.
“I decided to ride across the state of Nevada for three reasons,” Fisher explains in a short video clip from a documentary he made about the trip. “One, I wanted to get to know the people throughout Nevada. I wanted to understand our state collectively and each community individually. Two, I love the outdoors. I’ve always been intrigued by the backcountry of Nevada and its wide-open spaces. And three, I have made my living on a bike; selling them to cycling and outdoor enthusiasts, and guiding thousands of clients on tours in the great outdoors. It is a big part of who I am.”
