Recently retired Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill announced today he is running for sheriff.
McMahill would replace Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor in hopes of unseating Democratic incumbent Steve Sisolak.
Lombardo issued a statement endorsing McMahill.
“I know the qualities it takes to do this job, lead the department and keep our community safe,” Lombardo said. “Kevin is an outstanding crime fighter and empathetic leader who builds consensus and leads with accountability. He has served our department with distinction over the course of his decorated career and no one is more prepared to be our next sheriff.”
After three decades with Metro, which saw him rise in the ranks from patrol officer to second in command of the department, McMahill retired in December.
At the time, he said retiring from Metro was one of the most difficult decisions he had to make, noting that he didn’t intend to run for sheriff.
He subsequently joined NaphCare, a health care company that contracts with corrections facilities, as vice president of West Coast operations.
“To be able to serve at every level of the organization has allowed me to implement those things that matter most to me: true partnership between police and the community, relentless crime fighting focused on keeping our citizens safe and our victims cared for, accountability and transparency at all levels of the organization, while also providing the best training and policies to guide our employees,” McMahill said in a statement.
McMahill, a 53-year-old U.S. Army veteran, joined Metro in 1990. He was promoted to sergeant in 2001, lieutenant in 2006 and captain in 2010.
In 2011, he was appointed deputy chief. Two years later, he was tapped as an assistant sheriff before former Sheriff Doug Gillespie named him undersheriff in 2014.
McMahill attended Columbia Southern University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
He is married to Metro Deputy Chief Kelly McMahill. They have five children and two grandsons.