Nevada Restaurant Association starting a PAC

The Nevada Restaurant Association is founding a political action committee ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

On Monday members of NvRA received a message from the association to join as a founding member of its PAC in preparation for the 2026 cycle. According to the email, the PAC will give the industry “the structure needed to protect past gains and influence upcoming policy debates.”

“Over the past couple years, especially since COVID, restaurants have been facing a lot of legislative pressure,” said Peter Saba, government affairs and communications manager for NvRA. “We just want to get more active in that sense and try to support pro-restaurant candidates on the ballot.”

The association, which consists of around 1,500 paying members, hopes to develop “deeper industry involvement and reliable relationships in elected office” to push forward their next set of priorities. These priorities include: swipe fee and chargeback protections, state funding for ProStart, a two-year culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students; restoring the tip credit; modernizing liquor and licensing frameworks; and standardizing health inspection systems.

According to Saba, NvRA had a “very good year” during the 2025 legislative session, citing alcohol-to-go implementation; a restaurant impersonation bill, which took aim at ghost kitchens and people impersonating local restaurants on delivery apps; and a reservation scalping bill, which required third-party websites to enter into a written agreement with a business before listing, advertising, promoting or selling a reservation, appointment or booking.

Members of NvRA can join the PAC through their company or as an independent operation. Most political events, legislative briefings and candidate engagement opportunities held by the association will be “PAC-member exclusive,” according to the email.

Members have the opportunity to become a “founding donor” of the PAC, with a tiered donation system being rolled out alongside the announcement. Donation tiers range from $100 to upwards of $2,500, or monthly sustaining of $25 to $100, and include added benefits for each tier.

“This year, we are adding real, tangible value for PAC members: exclusive access, direct engagement with decision-makers, and a leading voice in shaping policy before it reaches the Legislature,” said the email. “A strong PAC ensures the restaurant industry remains influential, competitive, and protected from mandates that undermine operations.”

Founding donors of the PAC will also be able to vote on the official name and branding, be eligible for the Founding Advisory Council and an invitation to a “Founders’ Reception” with lawmakers.

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.