BACKUS for NEVADA

As a third-generation Nevadan and almost born at a UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball game, Shea truly understands that “Home Means Nevada.”  Shea’s paternal great-grandparents traveled across country to Eureka, Nevada for employment in the early 1900s.  This is where Shea’s grandmother, a former educator, was born.  Shea’s maternal grandfather moved his family to Las Vegas in the 50s as he had secured employment at the Nevada Test Site.  

 

Shea has had the benefit and continues to thrive from her public education from kindergarten through law school.  Shea is a proud Clark High School graduate!  Shea worked hard to earn an opportunity to study law at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, with an emphasis in Native American legal issues.  In 2002, she interned for the U.S. Department of Justice.  

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From her youth through the present, Shea believes part of our American experiment is being a good citizen.  Shea has a long record of giving back to her community and others.  As a small business owner, Shea understands what it takes to provide good jobs and understands the challenges of our small businesses with growing costs.

 

From personal life experiences, Shea understands the importance of access to health care.  With Shea’s parents and in-laws aging, Shea recognizes the need for community and families to support our aging population.  This also includes the need to insure our seniors are safe from those desiring to take advantage of them. 

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​Shea is excited to be running for re-election to continue to represent the residents of Assembly District 37.  Shea wants to continue the good fight for Nevadans to have access to affordable preventative and diagnostic healthcare, by lowering housing costs by standing up to wall-street backed corporate owners and expanding the availability of attainable housing, to invest in economic growth to insure better jobs, and not stop the investment in our public schools.  Shea is proud of the work that she has done on behalf of all Nevadans, including eliminating red-tape to increase housing, removing unnecessary barriers to healthcare by reducing prior-authorization hurdles for medical providers, historic investments in public education, and leading policy to create a teacher pipeline. Despite opposition, Shea supported legislation to do more to lower the cost for housing and prescription drug prices and to make sure all students have free meals at school.

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Shea’s interest in the Nevada legislature stems from her years of legal practice wherein she has had to utilize a majority of the Titles of the Nevada Revised Statutes, not to mention The Constitution of the State of Nevada.   Shea took this experience to Carson City in 2019, 2023 and 2025 and is proud of the bills that she sponsored and supported.  For two sessions, Shea chaired Revenue, vice-chaired Ways & Means and chaired the Subcomittee on K-12/NSHE/CIP.  During this interim, Shea chairs Sunset Committee, chairs Audit Subcommittee, and vice-chairs Revenue.  

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Shea lives with her husband Marc, an airline pilot and a member of the Independent Pilots Association, and their dog Carson.

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