Cotter Conway

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Cotter C. Conway

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1988

Law

Vermont Law School, 1991

Personal

Birthplace

Boston, Mass.

Religion

Protestant

Profession

Attorney/judge

Contact

Campaign website

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Personal Facebook

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Cotter C. Conway ran for election for the Department 1 judge of the Reno Township Justice Court in Nevada. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Conway completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Cotter C. Conway was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1988 and a law degree from Vermont Law School in 1991. His career experience includes working as an attorney and judge.

Elections

2024

See also: City elections in Reno, Nevada (2024)

General election

General election for Reno Township Justice Court Department 1

Jennifer Richards defeated Cotter C. Conway in the general election for Reno Township Justice Court Department 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Richards (Nonpartisan)	59.4	83,278
		Cotter C. Conway (Nonpartisan)	40.6	56,971

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 140,249
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Cotter C. Conway and Jennifer Richards advanced from the primary for Reno Township Justice Court Department 1.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Conway in this election.

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Washoe County, Nevada (2022)

General election

General election for Reno Township Justice Court Department 2

Kendra Bertschy defeated Bruce Hahn in the general election for Reno Township Justice Court Department 2 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kendra Bertschy (Nonpartisan)	56.7	56,455
	Submit photo	Bruce Hahn (Nonpartisan)	43.3	43,095

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,550
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Reno Township Justice Court Department 2

Kendra Bertschy and Bruce Hahn defeated Cotter C. Conway in the primary for Reno Township Justice Court Department 2 on June 14, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kendra Bertschy (Nonpartisan)	44.0	25,223
✔	Submit photo	Bruce Hahn (Nonpartisan)	37.9	21,697
		Cotter C. Conway (Nonpartisan)	18.1	10,388

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,308
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Cotter C. Conway completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Conway's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have the qualifications, skills, and experience to excel in this judicial position. In addition to over 32 years practicing law, I have proudly served this community as a jurist over the last 8 years. I currently work at the Reno Justice Court as a judicial officer appointed by the elected Justices of the Peace. The position, known as a Court Referee, handles misdemeanor citations, contested civil infraction hearings, small claims trials, and other civil matters, including evictions and protection orders. I have also presided over criminal matters as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Reno Justice Court, Sparks Justice Court, Sparks Municipal Court, and Incline Justice Court.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am the only candidate with the right experience having served as a Judge Pro Tempore in Washoe County for close to 8 years.
• in 2021, I was appointed by the Justices of of the Reno Justice Court to serve as the Court Referee (the first ever to be so appointed).
• I am the only candidate with experience in a Specialty Court. I was assigned to the Co-Occuring Disorder Court in the Reno Municipal Court for 8 years. And I now preside over the DUI Court in Reno Justice Court when the presiding judge is unavailable. I think it's important to seek out a way to rehabilitate offenders charged with misdemeanors. A lot of criminal behavior is because people may not have an option, or at least they don't think they have an option, because of their drug addiction or their mental illness. Those issues should be addressed, if possible, in the lower courts. It may be too late when the offender is facing a felony in the District Court.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

A judicial candidate cannot campaign on policy or how he would rule if he made it to the bench. He must remain impartial. So the important thing for a judicial candidate is to highlight his experience both on the bench as well as in the practice of law. And it's important for the voter to make that choice based on that proven experience.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The following qualities contribute to a judge's ability to uphold justice and serve the public effectively: 1. Judicial Temperament - the ability to apply the law to the facts and to understand how a decision will affect those that appear before the court; 2. Impartiality - remaining neutral and unbiased, regardless of personal beliefs or external pressures; 3. Fairness - treating all parties equally and ensuring due process; 4. Communication Skills - effective communication with counsel, jurors, witnesses, and parties; and 5. Compassion - recognizing the human impact of decisions.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

It might not have been my first job but I spent a summer working at the Ponderosa Ranch (that's right, of Bonanza fame) in Incline Village, Nevada. My actual first job was as a camp counselor at a YMCA camp in upstate New York. I did that for 3 or 4 summers in my teens. I had been a camper at the same camp.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Deadpool. I enjoy his sarcastic sense of humor!

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is indeed a crucial quality for a judge. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It is important for a judge as it helps him understand the litigants, consider the real-life consequences for individuals, and treat all parties with respect regardless of their background or circumstances. While judges must apply the law objectively, empathy (as well as compassion) enhance their ability to serve justice effectively.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, previous experience is beneficial for one seeking a judicial position. Having an extensive resume gives a judicial candidate the qualifications, skills, and experience necessary to do the job. It gives him the insight one can only receive by actually sitting on the bench and doing the job of a jurist. The right experience makes him the right choice.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A man was driving along a rural road when he saw a chicken running down the road. He noticed the chicken was running at an impressive 30 mph.

So he sped up and the chicken kept pace. They raced down the road until suddenly, the chicken veered off into a barnyard. The man followed and saw a farmer.
He asked the farmer, ‘Why is that chicken so fast?’

The farmer replied, ‘Well, you see, my wife, my son, and I love the drumstick but, of course, there are only two. So I bred chickens with three legs so we wouldn't fight over the drumstick.’

The man was amazed, 'How do they taste?’

The farmer said, ‘I don’t know. I haven’t been able to catch one yet!’"

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Cotter C. Conway did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

See also

2024 Elections

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Candidate

Reno Township Justice Court Department 1

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Footnotes

Nevada courts

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Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nevada • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nevada

State courts:

Nevada Supreme Court • Nevada Court of Appeals • Nevada District Courts • Nevada Justice Courts • Nevada Municipal Courts • Clark County Family Court, Nevada

State resources:

Courts in Nevada • Nevada judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nevada