Nevada gubernatorial election, 2018

Elections in Nevada, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9 (mail), Oct. 16 (in-person), or Oct. 18 (online)
• Early voting: Oct. 20 - Nov. 2
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State Assembly • Supreme court • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2022 → ← 2014
Governor of Nevada
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Brian Sandoval (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Nevada
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Nevada executive elections
Governor Lieutenant governor Attorney general Secretary of state Treasurer Controller State board of regents

Steve Sisolak (D) defeated Adam Laxalt (R) and three other candidates in the 2018 general election for governor of Nevada.

Democrats won a trifecta in Nevada by capturing the governor's office and maintaining control of the state legislature. Heading into the election, Nevada had been under divided government since 2016 when Democrats won control of the Nevada State Assembly and the Nevada State Senate.

The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Nevada state law, the state Legislature is responsible for drawing new maps for U.S. House and state legislative seats following the completion of the census. The governor has the power to veto these district map proposals. Click here for more information on redistricting procedures.

Incumbent Gov. Brian Sandoval (R), who was term-limited, was first elected in 2010 by 11.8 percentage points and re-elected in 2014 by 46.7 percentage points. The last Democrat to win Nevada's governorship was Bob Miller (D) in 1990 and 1994. Hillary Clinton (D) won Nevada in the 2016 presidential election by 3 percentage points, making it one of eight states holding gubernatorial elections in 2018 that Clinton won despite having a Republican governor. As of October 24, two of three major election forecasters tracked by Ballotpedia called the race a toss-up and one said it slightly favored Democrats.

Nevada was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

The minor party and independent candidates who ran were Jared Lord (L), Russell Best (Independent American), and Ryan Bundy (I).

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Nevada

Steve Sisolak defeated Adam Laxalt, Ryan Bundy, Russell Best, and Jared Lord in the general election for Governor of Nevada on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Sisolak (D)	49.4	480,007
		Adam Laxalt (R)	45.3	440,320
		Ryan Bundy (Independent)	1.4	13,891
		Russell Best (Independent American Party)	1.0	10,076
		Jared Lord (L)	0.9	8,640
		Other/Write-in votes	1.9	18,865

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 971,799 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Nevada

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Sisolak	51.8	72,749
		Chris Giunchigliani	40.3	56,511
		John Bonaventura	3.1	4,351
		Henry Thorns	2.0	2,761
		David Jones	1.8	2,511
		Asheesh Dewan	1.0	1,468

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 140,351
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Nevada

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Laxalt	74.7	101,651
		Dan Schwartz	9.5	12,919
		Jared Fisher	4.9	6,696
		Stephanie Carlisle	4.7	6,401
		Bill Boyd	4.4	6,028
		Stan Lusak	0.7	1,011
		Frederick Conquest	0.6	766
		Edward Dundas	0.4	576

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 136,048
= 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.

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Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Adam Laxalt, attorney general of Nevada

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: Attorney General of Nevada (assumed office: 2015)

Biography: Laxalt is the son of former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Michelle Laxalt, the daughter of former Nevada Gov. Paul Laxalt (R). He received his B.A. and his J.D. from Georgetown University. He served as a judge advocate general in Iraq, worked as a special adviser to the United States Department of State, and was a law professor at the United States Naval Academy before opening his own legal practice in Las Vegas.

Key messages

• Laxalt's campaign ads said he was a good person whose tough childhood and military service prepared him to ward off negative influences. He contrasted himself with Sisolak, who he called a corrupt politician interested in enriching himself and his allies.

• Laxalt said he wanted invest an additional $500,000 in public education and that the funding would go to classrooms and give parents more choice in their child's education.

• Laxalt highlighted his record as attorney general. His campaign ads said he protected Nevadans by taking on opioid manufacturers and addressing a backlog of untested rape kits, for which he blamed Sisolak.

Steve Sisolak, Clark County commissioner

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: Clark County Commission (assumed office: 2009)

Biography: Sisolak was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his master's degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He started a communications business in Las Vegas and served on the Nevada Board of Regents from 1998 to 2008.

Key messages

• Sisolak highlighted his blue-collar upbringing and life story. He said he created a successful business and helped lead Clark County out of the 2008 recession. He said these experiences prepared him to lead Nevada as governor.

• Sisolak said he supported Gov. Brian Sandoval's (R) plan to increase public school funding and claimed Laxalt would shift money into private schools.

• Sisolak said his priorities were expanding access to affordable healthcare, investing in public education and skills training, and creating high-wage jobs.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Nevada Governor 2018, general election
Poll	Poll sponsor	Steve Sisolak	Adam Laxalt	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size
The Trafalgar Group October 29-November 1, 2018	N/A	39%	45%	16%	+/-1.9	2,587
SRSS October 24-29, 2018	CNN	46%	45%	9%	+/-4.8	622
Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics October 12-19, 2018	N/A	41%	46%	13%	+/-3.0	1,137
Vox Populi (Democrat vs. Republican only, no undecided option) October 13-15, 2018	N/A	42%	40%	0%	+/-3.7	614
Marist University Sept. 30-Oct. 3	NBC News	40%	44%	16%	+/-5.5	574
SSRS Sept. 25-29	CNN	45%	41%	14%	+/-4.6	693
Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics Sept. 7-17	Thomson Reuters and the University of Virginia Center for Politics	40%	43%	17%	+/-3.5	1,039
Suffolk University Sept. 5-10	Reno Gazette-Journal	37%	35%	28%	+/-4.4	500
Suffolk University July 24-29	Reno Gazette-Journal	41%	42%	16%	+/-4.4	500
AVERAGES		41.22%	42.33%	14.33%	+/-3.98	918.44
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

PredictIt Prices

This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• The Democratic Governors Association announced that it had reserved $20 million worth of advertisements in four states on behalf of Democratic candidates for governor, including Nevada, on March 15, 2018. In a press release announcing the ad buy, Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson said that "electing more Democratic governors is the best way to fight Republican gerrymandering and take back control of the House. Democrats are on offense this year, and the DGA is fully committed to winning these key redistricting races."

• Everytown for Gun Safety said it would spend $8 million to $10 million in four gubernatorial races, including Nevada.

• Fighting for Nevada PAC launched a $1.2 million television ad campaign opposing Sisolak on October 23.

• Freedom Partners Action Fund (FPA)
  • FPA announced a six-figure buy in support of Laxalt on September 26.
  • FPA spent $2.5 million supporting Laxalt from November 2017 through September 2018.

• Planned Parenthood announced it would spend $3 million in Nevada to defeat Laxalt and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

• Priorities USA Action announced that it was launching a $500,000 digital ad campaign opposed to Adam Laxalt (R) on August 3, 2018, . According to the press release announcing the campaign, the group would focus on "informing Nevada voters about Adam Laxalt’s out-of-state billionaire-supported plan to slash taxes on big businesses."

• The Republican Governors Association (RGA)
  • On September 20, the RGA began running this statewide ad criticizing Steve Sisolak for his statements on property taxes. This was part of a $7 million ad buy.
  • On February 15, 2018, the RGA announced that it had purchased $20 million worth of advertisements in four states on behalf of Republican candidates for governor, including $3.3 million of advertisements slated to run in Nevada. In an interview with Politico, Republican Governors Association Executive Director Paul Bennecke indicated that "this is just the beginning of what will be a record amount spent by the RGA in the 36 states electing governors this November."

• The Tenth Amendment Project reserved $250,000 in television ads to support Adam Laxalt in late September.

Race rating

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2018	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic	Tilt Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

• Steve Sisolak

Noteworthy general election endorsements
Endorsement	Sisolak (D)	Laxalt (R)
Individuals
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Vice President Mike Pence (R)		✔
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔
Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve (I)	✔
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D)	✔
Storey County Commissioner Lance Gilman (R)	✔
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (D)	✔

Click here to see a list of endorsements in the June 12 Democratic primary

Ballotpedia tracked endorsements by organizations and elected officials. To notify us of other endorsements, please email us. Nevada gubernatorial Democratic primary endorsements Endorsement Chris Giunchigliani Steve Sisolak Federal officials Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D) ✔ Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) ✔ U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) ✔ Organizations Clark County Education Association ✔ EMILY's List ✔ Nevada Law Enforcement Coalition ✔ Nevada State Education Association ✔ Service Employees International Union Local 1107 ✔ Southern Nevada Building Trades ✔

Brian Sandoval non-endorsement

On August 17, 2018, incumbent Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) announced that he would not endorse any candidate in the 2018 election. He had previously stated that he would not "support a candidate that is going to undo anything that I put forward." Among Sandoval's areas of policy disagreement with Republican nominee Adam Laxalt (R) was the commerce tax, which Laxalt was in favor of repealing. The two have also differed on online gambling, with Sandoval calling for the expansion of online gambling and Laxalt calling for its prohibition.

Timeline

• October 31, 2018: An SSRS poll commissioned by CNN found Sisolak with 46 percent and Laxalt with 45 percent. The margin of error was 4.8 percentage points.
• October 24, 2018: A Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics poll showed Laxalt with 46 percent and Sisolak with 41 percent. The margin of error was 3.0 percentage points.
• October 23, 2018: Fighting for Nevada PAC launched a $1.2 million television ad campaign opposing Sisolak.
• October 16, 2018: Campaign finance disclosures showed that Laxalt had raised $5.2 million and spent $7.4 million, while Sisolak had raised $5.9 million and spent $10.4 million.
• October 9, 2018: An NBC/Marist poll showed Laxalt leading Sisolak 44-40. The margin of error was 5.5 percentage points.
• October 1, 2018: A SSRS poll commissioned by CNN found Sisolak leading Laxalt 45-41 among likely voters. The margin of error was 4.6 percentage points.
• September 26, 2018: The Freedom Partners Action Fund announced a six-figure ad buy in support of Adam Laxalt.
• September 20, 2018: President Donald Trump held a rally in Las Vegas, where he asked voters to support Laxalt and other Nevada Republicans.
• September 20, 2018: The Republican Governors Association began running this statewide ad criticizing Steve Sisolak for his statements on property taxes. This was part of a $7 million ad buy.
• September 19, 2018: A Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics poll found Laxalt leading Sisolak 43-40 percent. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.
• September 11, 2018: A Suffolk University/Reno Gazette-Journal poll found Steve Sisolak with 37 percent and Adam Laxalt with 35 percent. The margin of error was 4.4 percentage points.
• September 8, 2018: Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve endorsed Steve Sisolak.
• August 31, 2018: Barack Obama (D) endorsed Steve Sisolak.
• August 30, 2018: The Sisolak campaign released an ad titled Fix. The ad criticized Adam Laxalt (R) for his opposition to education policies proposed by Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) and stated Sisolak's support for increased education funding.
• July 22, 2018: Term-limited Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) indicated that he would not endorse Republican nominee, Adam Laxalt, because of his opposition to some of Sandoval's policy initiatives. Sandoval said that he "won’t support a candidate that is going to undo anything that I put forward."

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Steve Sisolak

Support

"Opportunity" - Nevada Families First ad, released October 22, 2018

"Respect" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 21, 2018

"Mayor" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 19, 2018

"Can" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 4, 2018

"Right" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 4, 2018

"Sisolak Team" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 2, 2018

"Taxes" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 1, 2018

"Expand" - Sisolak campaign ad, released September 25, 2018

"Dignity" - Sisolak campaign ad, released September 3, 2018

"Fix" - Sisolak campaign ad, released August 27, 2018

"New Nevada" - Sisolak campaign ad, released August 27, 2018

Oppose

"List" - Fighting For Nevada ad, released October 22, 2018

"Doubled" - Fighting For Nevada ad, released October 22, 2018

"Under The Table" - RGA ad, released October 16, 2018

"Fat" - Laxalt ad, released October 5, 2018

"Higher Property Taxes" - RGA ad, released September 20, 2018

"Turkey" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released September 13, 2018

"Higher Tuition" - RGA ad, released September 4, 2018

"Enough" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released August 20, 2018

"Why" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released August 20, 2018

"Dark" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released July 25, 2018

"Friends" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released July 25, 2018

"Crony Politics" - Freedom Partners Action Fund ad, released June 26, 2018

"Pays" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released June 13, 2018

Adam Laxalt

Support

"Ad #2" -10th Amendment Project ad, released October 23, 2018

"Ad #1" - 10th Amendment Project ad, released October 23, 2018

"Mom" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released October 22, 2018

"Listen" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released October 19, 2018

"Four" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released September 14, 2018

"500" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released September 14, 2018

"Light" - Laxalt for Nevada ad, released July 30, 2018

"Getting it Done" - Freedom Partners Action Fund ad, released June 29, 2018

Oppose

"Maestra" - Sisolak ad, released October 25, 2018

"Roar" - Nevada Families First ad, released October 15, 2018

"Monique Laxalt" - Sisolak campaign ad, released October 11, 2018

"Truth" - Nevada Families First ad, released October 8, 2018

"Express" - Nevada Families First ad, released September 11, 2018

Campaign themes

Adam Laxalt

Laxalt’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Jobs and the Economy Nevada’s economy has made great strides in recent years, and I believe we have the potential to enter a new period of enormous prosperity and opportunity — if we take an effective, forward-looking approach to developing our economy. As Governor, I’ll promote policies that take advantage of Nevada’s many natural economic strengths, remove barriers to job creation and business expansion, and empower our education system to equip our future workers with the skills they need to succeed. That means eliminating unnecessary regulations and licensing requirements that only serve to stifle private-sector job growth and keep individuals out of the workforce. It means creating an environment that allows Nevada to become the most economically competitive state in the American West. In addition, our community colleges and Career and Technical schools need more flexibility to develop programs that are tailored specifically to the workforce needs of their local communities. By building an economic climate where businesses can innovate and grow, and where individuals can acquire the tools they need to get ahead, we can achieve the goal of providing each of our citizens with access to a better life. Education I believe that education is the civil rights issue of this time. Too many kids are never given a chance to succeed because they’re stuck in schools that are failing them. As your Governor, ensuring that every Nevada child has access to a quality education will be a top priority of mine. While some important steps have been taken in recent years, we owe it to our children and grandchildren to do much more to improve our education system. It’s important to realize that every child is unique, with his or her own particular educational needs and challenges, and our goal must be to make sure that every student graduates high school with the tools needed to succeed at the next level — whether that means attending college, pursuing career-focused training, or finding a quality job. My vision for education includes four main components: 1) strengthening our public education system by making sure it is properly funded, and by expanding upon some of the promising reforms implemented in recent years — particularly those geared toward improving early-age literacy; 2) empowering parents by supporting school choice — including better access to Charter Schools and Career and Technical Education, Opportunity Scholarships and Education Savings Accounts; 3) developing our in-state teacher talent by providing incentives, including scholarships, for those who wish to pursue careers in education to teach right here in Nevada; and 4) demanding more accountability for each and every dollar spent on our education system. Taxes and the Budget Nevada’s government should be funded well enough to provide quality, essential services, but should refrain from becoming too big, too costly, or too burdensome. Responsible budgeting is crucial to making sure that our government is providing necessary services to our citizens, such as quality education and infrastructure, but is not interfering with the private economy in a way that stifles job growth, business innovation or individual aspiration. That means setting clear budget priorities, and identifying and eliminating wasteful spending wherever it exists. I’ve shown a commitment to fiscal responsibility as Attorney General — my office has returned nearly $30 million to taxpayers since my inauguration, even while increasing services — and I’ll do the same as Governor. It is critical that we maintain a low-tax climate so that our businesses can thrive and our families can prosper. As Governor, I will oppose all efforts to increase Nevadans’ tax burden, and will also look for ways we can reduce taxes — starting with the Commerce Tax passed in 2015, which I opposed at the time and will seek to repeal. By making sure our government lives within its means, and our tax burden remains low, we can keep our state on the road to greater prosperity, and provide greater opportunities to Nevada’s families. Public Safety One of the things I’m most proud of during my time as Attorney General is the tremendous success my office has had in promoting the safety of Nevada’s communities. We have taken important and effective steps to increase penalties for criminals, to secure justice for their victims, and to protect the most vulnerable of our citizens. As your Governor, I will continue to promote policies that keep Nevadans safe from dangerous criminals, including drug traffickers and sex offenders, as well as those who commit financial fraud and those who abuse the elderly. I will also continue to stand firmly with our local law-enforcement agencies against attempts to make Nevada a sanctuary state, or to turn any of our municipalities into sanctuary cities. Building a stronger and more prosperous Nevada depends first and foremost on the safety of our communities, and you can depend on me to bring the same commitment I’ve shown in this area as your Attorney General to the Governor’s office. Gun Rights I am a proud and firm supporter of the Second Amendment, and I take particular pride in the work my office has done, during my time as Nevada’s Attorney General, to stand up for the right of citizens to bear arms. I believe, as America’s founders did, that this right is essential to maintaining a free society, and I will defend it vigorously as your Governor. Alarmingly, we have seen many attempts in recent years — both by far-left legislators here in Nevada and by out-of-state, anti-gun zealots — to infringe upon our Second Amendment rights. Nevadans should know that as Governor, I will oppose any such attempts in the future, and will continue to treat the right of free citizens to bear arms as sacred and non-negotiable. Land Use and Water One of the real challenges Nevada continues to face is the limited access we have to many of our natural resources. There are many reasons for this, including the overreach of various government agencies, but much of the problem stems from the fact that the federal government still maintains outsized control over our lands. This chokes off opportunities for economic growth and development, especially in our state’s rural communities. My approach as Governor will include creating a new commission that will focus on identifying ways to empower our local communities with better access to our lands and natural resources. I’ll also work with the federal government to ease restrictions on land use and access, and to push for the transfer of ownership of more of the lands within our borders — particularly in cases where our local governments can demonstrate clear benefits that the transfers would produce. More local control will lead to greater economic opportunity and prosperity, more responsible use of our resources — including our water — and an environment in which our ranching, mining, agricultural and recreational communities can thrive. Energy and the Environment I believe we can meet Nevada’s energy needs, while protecting our natural environment, by taking a sensible, balanced approach to public policy. Too often, the heavy hand of government is used to try to force particular energy solutions on the entire population. This leads to public policy that is driven by political considerations, rather than the actual needs of our citizens and the realities of our energy markets. My approach as Governor will be to support more choice and competition in our energy sectors, empowering individual consumers with the ability to address their energy needs as they see fit. I will also oppose efforts to impose or expand costly and burdensome mandates on energy providers, which only lead to higher prices that hurt Nevada’s families, and have a particularly damaging impact on those with lower incomes. At the same time, I will remain firmly committed to keeping in place those regulations that are truly needed to ensure the health and safety of our environment. I believe Nevada has an extremely bright energy future, and common-sense policies will help get us there. Veterans Our men and women in the armed services put their lives at risk every day to defend our freedoms. We must stand with them and their families while they are abroad and when they return home. Tremendous work has been done on behalf of Nevada’s service members, veterans and their families in recent years. Governor Brian Sandoval made it a priority in his administration to make our state the most veteran-friendly in the country and he has the results to show for it. I look forward to building on his success. As a veteran myself, I understand how crucial it is that our veterans receive the support they deserve. As Governor, I will continue to build on our recent successes and toward the goal of making Nevada the most veteran-empowering state in the nation.	”
—Adam Laxalt’s campaign website (2018)

Steve Sisolak

Sisolak’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Education Improving Nevada’s education system is Steve’s top priority as governor. Having served for a decade on the Nevada Board of Regents, education is one of Steve’s passions. He believes every child in Nevada deserves the opportunity to succeed — and that starts with strong public schools. Steve supports investing in our schools so they have the resources needed to provide a safe and effective learning environment for all of our kids. To strengthen our schools, and be an advocate for students and educators, Steve will: Bring together educators, school board members, parents, and elected officials from southern, northern, and rural Nevada to modernize the 50-year-old funding formula so that it addresses the needs of students, educators, and parents. Raise educator salaries so we can attract and retain the best and the brightest to teach our children. Reduce classroom sizes so that every student gets the attention he or she needs to succeed. Fight against the diversion of funding from public schools into private schools. Support more professional technical training programs so that students have the opportunity to come out of high school career-ready. Work to reduce the amount of debt students carry after college. Create safe, effective learning environments where all students feel welcome — by enacting common-sense gun safety reforms to prevent the horrific mass shootings we’ve seen too often. Support veterans and military families from the ground up — including early childcare, K-12 programs, STEM initiatives, and high school apprenticeships. Health Care Steve believes all Nevadans deserve quality, affordable health care, and that nobody should ever be denied coverage or charged more for being sick, elderly, or a woman. As governor, Steve will protect Nevadans’ access to care and stand up to any attempts to roll back coverage for our families. To make access to affordable health care a reality for more Nevadans, Steve will: Support Nevada’s health care exchange and work to ensure all communities across our state have access to better care and coverage. Fight any attempts to roll back Medicaid expansion, which has already helped cover more than 200,000 Nevadans. Stand up to the Trump Administration’s efforts to reverse pre-existing conditions protections, which threaten the care and coverage of 1.2 million Nevadans (including nearly 159,000 children and more than 269,000 seniors). Invest in mental health services and addiction treatment programs so that all Nevadans can get the comprehensive care they need. Defend health clinics that provide critical services for women — and ensure a woman’s health choices are decisions made by her and her doctor, never partisan politicians. Combat the homelessness and suicide epidemic among veterans by supporting VA mental health resources and ensuring access to affordable care for military families. Economy A bright future for our state requires a strong, diverse economy. For decades, our economy has depended on tourism, but we can’t solely rely on good economic times in other states to drive Nevada’s economy. As governor, Steve will work to diversify our economy around the state. He’ll build on his record of bringing people together to deliver job-creating projects like the new stadium and convention center to southern Nevada. And as a former small business owner, he’ll support Nevada’s homegrown businesses. To create new, good-paying jobs for Nevadans, Steve will: Attract new, diverse industries to Nevada, such as clean energy, technology, manufacturing, and medical research. Support Nevada’s small businesses with incentives and grants so it’s not just the big companies that benefit from our help. Promote partnerships between professional technical training programs and employers, to ensure Nevadans have the skills they need to find jobs with good pay and benefits. Protect Nevada’s natural beauty. Not only does chipping away at our public lands — such as Gold Butte and Great Basin — damage our environment and communities, it hurts the state’s outdoor tourism economy. Help veterans gain a foothold in the Nevada economy by combatting predatory lending, advancing laws that protect entrepreneurial veterans, and supporting vocational training and financial education programs.	”
—Steve Sisolak’s campaign website (2018)

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Other 2018 statewide elections

See also: States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2018

This race took place in one of twenty-two states that held elections for both governor and U.S. Senate in 2018.

A table of where these elections occurred, the names of incumbents prior to the 2018 elections, and links to our coverage of these races can be viewed by clicking "[show]" on the banner below:

States holding both Gubernatorial and Senate elections in 2018
State	Incumbent Governor	Open Seat?	Incumbent Senator	Open Seat?
Arizona	Doug Ducey	No	Jeff Flake	Yes
California	Jerry Brown	Yes	Dianne Feinstein	No
Connecticut	Dan Malloy	Yes	Chris Murphy	No
Florida	Rick Scott	Yes	Bill Nelson	No
Hawaii	David Ige	No	Mazie Hirono	No
Maine	Paul LePage	Yes	Angus King	No
Maryland	Larry Hogan	No	Ben Cardin	No
Massachusetts	Charlie Baker	No	Elizabeth Warren	No
Michigan	Rick Snyder	Yes	Debbie Stabenow	No
Minnesota	Mark Dayton	Yes	Amy Klobuchar	No
Nebraska	Pete Ricketts	No	Deb Fischer	No
Nevada	Brian Sandoval	Yes	Dean Heller	No
New Mexico	Susana Martinez	Yes	Martin Heinrich	No
New York	Andrew Cuomo	No	Kirsten Gillibrand	No
Ohio	John Kasich	Yes	Sherrod Brown	No
Pennsylvania	Tom Wolf	No	Bob Casey, Jr.	No
Rhode Island	Gina Raimondo	No	Sheldon Whitehouse	No
Tennessee	Bill Haslam	Yes	Bob Corker	Yes
Texas	Greg Abbott	No	Ted Cruz	No
Vermont	Phil Scott	No	Bernie Sanders	No
Wisconsin	Scott Walker	No	Tammy Baldwin	No
Wyoming	Matt Mead	Yes	John Barrasso	No

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Nevada. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Nevada with 47.9 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 45.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1868 and 2016, Nevada voted Republican 51 percent of the time and Democratic 46 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Nevada voted Democratic three times and Republican the other two.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Nevada. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 26 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 28.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 25 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 25.4 points.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 16 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 15.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 17 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 18.6 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District '
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	59.65%	38.79%	D+20.9	54.86%	39.16%	D+15.7	D
2	45.76%	52.78%	R+7	45.88%	48.54%	R+2.7	R
3	65.83%	31.97%	D+33.9	60.31%	33.47%	D+26.8	D
4	48.41%	49.77%	R+1.4	43.93%	49.61%	R+5.7	R
5	52.62%	45.70%	D+6.9	49.81%	44.25%	D+5.6	D
6	89.89%	8.89%	D+81	83.44%	12.33%	D+71.1	D
7	72.76%	25.61%	D+47.2	68.59%	26.44%	D+42.2	D
8	58.99%	39.23%	D+19.8	55.42%	38.87%	D+16.6	D
9	54.89%	43.49%	D+11.4	52.31%	42.20%	D+10.1	D
10	62.90%	35.09%	D+27.8	60.50%	33.78%	D+26.7	D
11	80.64%	17.55%	D+63.1	76.81%	17.89%	D+58.9	D
12	56.63%	41.71%	D+14.9	53.09%	41.24%	D+11.9	D
13	45.00%	53.30%	R+8.3	39.24%	54.33%	R+15.1	R
14	70.55%	27.50%	D+43.1	67.12%	27.32%	D+39.8	D
15	67.95%	29.82%	D+38.1	62.90%	31.41%	D+31.5	D
16	67.97%	29.82%	D+38.2	63.11%	31.10%	D+32	D
17	66.36%	32.12%	D+34.2	62.77%	31.02%	D+31.8	D
18	65.03%	32.82%	D+32.2	58.77%	34.72%	D+24.1	D
19	44.50%	53.69%	R+9.2	38.58%	55.27%	R+16.7	R
20	60.16%	37.75%	D+22.4	55.55%	37.95%	D+17.6	D
21	54.03%	44.10%	D+9.9	49.38%	44.25%	D+5.1	D
22	44.38%	54.03%	R+9.7	42.60%	51.43%	R+8.8	R
23	39.08%	59.36%	R+20.3	35.83%	58.89%	R+23.1	R
24	68.08%	28.93%	D+39.2	62.88%	28.04%	D+34.8	D
25	46.00%	52.24%	R+6.2	43.91%	48.03%	R+4.1	R
26	42.68%	55.58%	R+12.9	41.90%	49.78%	R+7.9	R
27	57.50%	39.97%	D+17.5	51.40%	39.33%	D+12.1	D
28	79.15%	19.02%	D+60.1	75.38%	19.70%	D+55.7	D
29	50.34%	47.68%	D+2.7	46.36%	46.99%	R+0.6	D
30	59.91%	37.99%	D+21.9	51.98%	39.77%	D+12.2	D
31	48.53%	49.48%	R+1	42.78%	48.68%	R+5.9	D
32	34.67%	62.22%	R+27.6	26.42%	65.50%	R+39.1	R
33	22.32%	74.64%	R+52.3	17.83%	73.52%	R+55.7	R
34	57.37%	40.92%	D+16.5	54.26%	39.76%	D+14.5	D
35	53.05%	45.22%	D+7.8	50.75%	43.41%	D+7.3	D
36	36.56%	60.43%	R+23.9	30.42%	63.55%	R+33.1	R
37	47.06%	51.39%	R+4.3	45.75%	48.97%	R+3.2	R
38	31.80%	65.63%	R+33.8	22.91%	69.75%	R+46.8	R
39	36.00%	61.91%	R+25.9	29.98%	62.86%	R+32.9	R
40	43.28%	54.08%	R+10.8	37.91%	53.28%	R+15.4	R
41	53.81%	44.39%	D+9.4	50.66%	43.60%	D+7.1	D
42	64.36%	33.83%	D+30.5	58.83%	35.75%	D+23.1	D
Total	52.36%	45.68%	D+6.7	47.92%	45.50%	D+2.4	-
Source: Daily Kos

Election history

2014

See also: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2014

Governor of Nevada, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Brian Sandoval Incumbent	70.6%	386,340
	Democratic	Robert Goodman	23.9%	130,722
	Independent	None of these candidates	2.9%	15,751
	Independent American	David Lory VanderBeek	2.7%	14,536
Total Votes				547,349
Election results via Nevada Secretary of State

2010

See also: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2010

On November 2, 2010, Brian Sandoval won election to the office of Governor of Nevada. He defeated Rory Reid, David Scott Curtis, Arthur Forrest Lampitt, Eugene DiSimone, Aaron Y. Honig, and Floyd Fitzgibbons in the general election.

Governor of Nevada, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Brian Sandoval	54.3%	382,350
	Democratic	Rory Reid	42.3%	298,171
	Green	David Scott Curtis	0.6%	4,437
	Libertarian	Arthur Forrest lampitt	0.7%	4,672
	Independent	Eugene DiSimone	0.9%	6,403
	Independent	Aaron Y. Honig	0.5%	3,216
	Independent	Floyd Fitzgibbons	0.7%	5,049
Total Votes				704,298
Election results via Silver State Election Results.

2006

On November 7, 2006, Jim Gibbons won election to the office of Governor of Nevada. He defeated Dina Titus, Christopher Hansen, and Craig Bergland in the general election.

Governor of Nevada, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jim Gibbons	49.7%	279,003
	Democratic	Dina Titus	45.5%	255,684
	Ind. American	Christopher Hansen	3.6%	20,019
	Green	Craig Bergland	1.2%	6,753
Total Votes				561,459
Election results via US Election Atlas Results.

2002

On November 5, 2002, Kenny Guinn won re-election to the office of Governor of Nevada. He defeated Joseph Neal, Richard Geyer, David Holmgren, Jerry Norton, and A. Charles Laws in the general election.

Governor of Nevada, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Kenny Guinn Incumbent	71.6%	344,001
	Democratic	Joseph Neal	23.1%	110,935
	Libertarian	Richard Geyer	1.7%	8,104
	Ind. American	David Holmgren	1.5%	7,047
	Independent	Jerry Norton	1.2%	5,543
	Green	A. Charles Laws	1%	4,775
Total Votes				480,405
Election results via US Election Atlas Results.

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to gubernatorial elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 11 gubernatorial waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

Gubernatorial wave elections
Year	President	Party	Election type	Gubernatorial seats change	Elections analyzed
1970	Nixon	R	First midterm	-12	35
1922	Harding	R	First midterm	-11	33
1932	Hoover	R	Presidential	-10	35
1920	Wilson	D	Presidential	-10	36
1994	Clinton	D	First midterm	-10	36
1930	Hoover	R	First midterm	-9	33
1938	Roosevelt	D	Second midterm	-9	33
1966	Johnson	D	First midterm	-9	35
1954	Eisenhower	R	First midterm	-8	33
1982	Reagan	R	First midterm	-7	36
2010	Obama	D	First midterm	-7	33

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Nevada heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, a Democrat and a Republican each held one U.S. Senate seat in Nevada.
• Democrats held three of four U.S. House seats in Nevada, and a Republican held one.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Republicans held six of 13 state executive positions, and the remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Nevada was Republican Brian Sandoval. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Nevada State Legislature. They had a 27-14 majority in the state Assembly and a 10-8 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Nevada was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Brian Sandoval (R) served as governor, while Democrats controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Nevada elections, 2018

Nevada held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• 1 U.S. Senate seat
• 4 U.S. House seats
• Governor
• Lieutenant governor
• 5 lower state executive positions
• 11 of 21 state Senate seats
• All 42 state Assembly seats
• 3 state supreme court seats
• Municipal elections in Clark County, Washoe County, Las Vegas, and Reno

Demographics

Demographic data for Nevada
	Nevada	U.S.
Total population:	2,883,758	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	109,781	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	69%	73.6%
Black/African American:	8.4%	12.6%
Asian:	7.7%	5.1%
Native American:	1.1%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.6%	0.2%
Two or more:	4.4%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	27.5%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	85.1%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	23%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$51,847	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	17.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Nevada. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Nevada's three largest cities were Las Vegas (pop. est. 640,000), Henderson (pop. est. 300,000), and Reno (pop. est. 250,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Nevada from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Nevada Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Nevada every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Nevada 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	47.9%	Donald Trump	45.5%	2.4%
2012	Barack Obama	52.4%	Mitt Romney	45.7%	6.7%
2008	Barack Obama	55.1%	John McCain	42.7%	12.4%
2004	George W. Bush	50.5%	John Kerry	47.9%	2.6%
2000	George W. Bush	49.5%	Al Gore	45.9%	3.6%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Nevada from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Nevada 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Catherine Cortez Masto	47.1%	Joe Heck	44.7%	2.4%
2012	Dean Heller	45.9%	Shelley Berkley	44.7%	1.2%
2010	Harry Reid	50.3%	Sharron Angle	44.6%	5.7%
2006	John Ensign	55.4%	Jack Carter	41.0%	14.4%
2004	Harry Reid	61.1%	Richard Ziser	35.1%	26.0%
2000	John Ensign	55.0%	Ed Bernstein	39.7%	15.3%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Nevada.

Election results (Governor), Nevada 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Brian Sandoval	70.6%	Bob Goodman	23.9%	46.7%
2010	Brian Sandoval	53.4%	Rory Reid	41.6%	11.8%
2006	Jim Gibbons	47.9%	Dina Titus	43.9%	4.0%
2002	Kenny Guinn	68.1%	Joe Neal	22.0%	46.1%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Nevada in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Nevada 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	1	25.0%	3	75.0%	D+2
2014	3	75.0%	1	25.0%	R+2
2012	2	50.0%	2	50.0%	Even
2010	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2008	1	33.3%	2	66.7%	D+1
2006	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2004	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2002	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2000	1	50.0%	1	50.0%	Even

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Nevada Party Control: 1992-2025
Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R
Senate	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	S	S	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Nevada governor election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Nevada gubernatorial election, 2018 - Google News

See also

Nevada government:

• Nevada state executive offices
• Nevada State Legislature
• Nevada courts

Elections:

• Nevada state executive official elections, 2018
• Gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Attorney General elections, 2018
• Secretary of State elections, 2018
• State executive official elections, 2018, 2017, 2016

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• State of the state addresses
• Trifecta control of state government

External links

Suggest a link

• Governor of Nevada official website