Adriana Guzmán Fralick: A Political Journey Sparked by Opposition to Obamacare
The race for Nevada attorney general sees Republican nominee Adriana Guzmán Fralick, whose political aspirations were ignited by her opposition to the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare). Fralick’s journey into politics was notably influenced by her tenure as general counsel for Republican Governor Jim Gibbons from 2009 to 2011. During this period, Gibbons’ administration initiated several lawsuits against Obamacare, an effort that Fralick actively participated in, despite the disagreement of the then-Democratic attorney general, Catherine Cortez Masto.
Reflecting on this pivotal time in her career on Newsmakers on August 25, Fralick shared, “We had to deal with Obamacare at the time and we really needed to get to the bottom of it and figure out how it was going to affect Nevadans. We had an attorney general who felt differently than we did. That’s when I reached out to outside counsel and we started these lawsuits with the administration. That was my first experience with that and it kind of planted a seed that it may be something I would one day want to do.”
The impact of Obamacare in Nevada is significant, with over 104,000 residents benefiting from health insurance coverage through the Act. According to a KFF poll conducted in July, 51% of voters nationwide consider health care costs an extremely important issue for candidates to discuss in the upcoming elections, and 36% express interest in candidates’ plans regarding the future of Obamacare.
The period when Fralick served under Governor Gibbons was not without controversy. In 2010, Gibbons was labeled as one of the 11 worst governors by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and later lost his party’s nomination for reelection.
Fralick’s career also includes a decade-long tenure on the board of directors for Nevada Health Centers, a nonprofit organization. From 2011 to 2020, the organization experienced financial challenges, including a significant increase in the CEO’s salary from just over $300,000 to $700,000 over six years, while the organization operated at a loss and reduced its obstetrics services.
Fralick faces Democratic state Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro in the upcoming November election. When approached, Fralick’s campaign declined to comment on these issues.
The post originally appeared on American Journal News.
