Kimmel backs Republican running for constable in North Las Vegas

Jimmy Kimmel appears in a campaign video to support his longtime friend Jimmy Vega for North Las Vegas constable.  (Jimmy Vega for North Las Vegas Constable)

Who says Jimmy Kimmel doesn't support Republicans?

Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel announced his support for a Republican (a lifelong friend) who is running for constable in North Las Vegas.

Kimmel appeared in a campaign video endorsing Jimmy Vega, who he's known since they were 12 years old. The host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” said he was proud of Vega for running.

Vega, 51, had been in the military for 25 years, and is currently in the naval reserves, he said.

“For me it was an integrity issue, is that, you know, you work hard, not everybody is meant to be a cop, not everybody is meant to be a firefighter, not everybody is meant to be in the military. You have to go through your prospective boot camps or academies to earn it, and that’s how I feel, I feel you just have to earn everything in life,” Vega said.

Kimmel has been vocal about his criticism of President Donald Trump and many Republican policies. But Vega said it’s not about partisanship.

“It’s just doing the right thing and helping the people, and that’s what I plan to do,” he said. “This race shouldn’t be a partisan race anyway. We’re law enforcement, we don’t create law, we just enforce law.”

North Las Vegas is “saturated” with veterans, according to Vega, and he has a passion to support veterans, he said. Vega said he wants to grow the department.

“There’s a lot of things that the current constable is not doing that I intend to do,” he said.

Jimmy Kimmel and longtime friend Jimmy Vega. (Jimmy Vega for North Las Vegas Constable)

According to Nevada law, Constables are considered peace officers, according to Nevada law. Their duties include evictions and summoning juries for justices of the peace.

Kimmel and Vega chuckle throughout the video, with the comedian throwing in a few jokes, including some about the eviction part of the constable job.

They both graduated from Clark High School, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.