Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony Sees Space Tourism, Elon Musk as State's Next Major Industry

Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony is proposing an ambitious new direction for the state's entertainment sector: space tourism. With Elon Musk's significant business ventures already established within Nevada, Anthony believes the state could find a key partner to launch this innovative industry.

Anthony brings a diverse professional background to his current role. He dedicated nearly three decades to law enforcement, served as a regent in the state's higher education system, and was a long-serving Las Vegas city councilman. After a spirited campaign for mayor of Las Vegas, he was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2022, serving alongside Governor Joe Lombardo. Their ticket marked a unique achievement, as it was the only instance in the nation where Republicans successfully unseated both an incumbent Democratic governor and lieutenant governor.

Envisioning Nevada's Economic Future

Anthony actively promotes Nevada as a premier destination for entertainment, highlighting its favorable regulatory environment and a robust climate for entrepreneurial growth. He expresses particular enthusiasm for the expansion of professional sports and the emerging field of space tourism.

Anthony noted the dramatic shift in the state's sports landscape over the past decade. "If you look at 10 years ago, we didn't have one major sporting activity here in Nevada. They actually would not come here because they thought there would be illegal gambling and corruption and bribery and so on and so forth," Anthony observed. "In 10 years, we've become the sports capital of the world. Baseball is coming. We have hockey. We have football. We're going to have basketball coming. F1. NASCAR. We have women's basketball, on and on and that just kind of cropped up."

He emphasized that Las Vegas's dynamic nature allows for constant evolution. "The thing about Las Vegas is anything can happen here, so it's really not up to me as a lieutenant governor to decide what's the next big thing in tourism. It's the tourist industry that has to decide what's the next big thing," he stated.

One area that particularly captures his interest is space tourism. Anthony envisions a future where Nevada's expansive open lands could facilitate such ventures. He suggested that "somebody like Elon Musk can shoot rockets up into outer space, hang out up there for a while, have some drinks. Hang out with friends." He described the potential experience as "what an experience that would be to see the Earth from up there and actually make it a tourist kind of an adventure." While passionate about the concept, Anthony underscored that "it's the private sector that needs to do it. And I am very much in favor of allowing our entrepreneurs to come up with the next best thing and to support them."

From Law Enforcement to Public Service

Anthony attributes the problem-solving skills crucial to his successful political career to his extensive background with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.

He explained that public perception often misrepresents the core of police work. "You know, most people think of the policing that they see on television. High-speed pursuits, gunfights, bar fights, chasing people down dark alleys and arresting serious criminals. And that is a big part of policing," Anthony said. "But, really, 90% of police work is really solving problems. Going into neighborhoods, finding out what are the issues in those neighborhoods, helping those neighbors solve issues to make their quality of life a lot better."

This approach, he noted, directly translates to his responsibilities as an elected official. "I've learned that that's really what I should be doing as an elected official. My job is to go out there and talk to people and find out what the state can do, what a county could do, what a city could do to make their lives better; helping folks live the American dream and not causing problems like higher taxes, higher regulations, getting in their way, those sorts of things. So, that's really what I learned about police work."

Political Alignments and Core Values

The Lombardo/Anthony ticket has received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who believes the proposed policy of no taxes on tips could significantly boost their electoral prospects in November.

Anthony confirmed the former president's support, stating, "President Trump has endorsed the governor. President Trump has endorsed me. He was just here a couple of months ago to talk about his no taxes on tips, which was a huge thing here in Nevada." He added that Trump is always welcome in the state: "I think President Trump will be here. He's welcome anytime to come to the great state of Nevada and talk to folks in Nevada. When he was campaigning, he would have events with 5,000 or 6,000 people attending. So, we have a good relationship with him. We want to have a relationship with him, and I believe he'll be here to talk about some of the great things his administration is doing, not only in the country, but how it's impacting Nevada in a positive way."

Anthony's political philosophy is deeply rooted in the values instilled by his immigrant parents, who arrived in the United States from Cyprus. They emphasized hard work, self-reliance, and fiscal responsibility.

He recounted his parents' journey: "When they came to the United States, and they didn't have anything, all they could do was find a job and get married and raise a family. … No. 1: you work hard." He continued, "No. 2: you don't ask the government for anything. You want them to protect you, you want to have roads. But you don't ask them for welfare. You don't ask them for unemployment checks. You don't ask them for food stamps. So, that's not something that they thought the government would do."

Anthony explained that his parents believed "their responsibility was to work hard, raise a family, buy a home and live the American dream. That taught me a lot. And that's really how I've continued my public service. I am here to support Nevadans in ways that they want support, but I'm not here to carry them. They need to carry themselves, and I think they understand that."