Catherine Cortez Masto

Catherine Cortez Masto

Democratic Party

U.S. Senate Nevada

Tenure

2017 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

7

Predecessor

Harry Reid

Prior offices

Attorney General of Nevada

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Nevada, Reno, 1986

Law

Gonzaga University School of Law, 1990

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Nevada. She assumed office on January 3, 2017. Her current term ends on January 3, 2029.

Masto (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Nevada. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

The race for Nevada's open U.S. Senate seat was one of Ballotpedia's nine competitive battleground races in 2016. Cortez Masto defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Heck (R) and four minor party candidates in the general election to win retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D) seat. Her victory on November 8, 2016, made her the first-ever Latina elected to the United States Senate.

Before being elected to the Senate, Masto served as attorney general of Nevada from 2007 to 2015. She also served as an assistant county manager for Clark County, Nevada, was a federal criminal prosecutor for the United States Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., and was chief of staff to Governor Bob Miller.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Masto earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada-Reno in 1986 and continued her education at Gonzaga University, where she graduated with a J.D. in 1990. Following her graduation, Masto joined the Nevada State Bar Association. Her initial steps onto the Nevada political stage came when she received the position of Southern District Director for then-Governor Bob Miller. Three years later she was appointed Miller's Chief of Staff while simultaneously operating as an assistant to the United States Attorney General. Her employment in both of these roles ended in 2002. That same year, Masto began her work as assistant county manager for Clark County.

Elections

2022

See also: United States Senate election in Nevada, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Nevada

Incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Adam Laxalt, Barry Lindemann, Neil Scott, and Barry Rubinson in the general election for U.S. Senate Nevada on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Catherine Cortez Masto (D)	48.8	498,316
		Adam Laxalt (R)	48.0	490,388
		Barry Lindemann (Independent)	0.8	8,075
		Neil Scott (L)	0.6	6,422
		Barry Rubinson (Independent American Party)	0.5	5,208
		Other/Write-in votes	1.2	12,441

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,020,850
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joseph Destin (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nevada

Incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Corey Reid, Allen Rheinhart, and Stephanie Kasheta in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nevada on June 14, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Catherine Cortez Masto	90.9	159,694
		Corey Reid	2.6	4,491
		Allen Rheinhart	2.2	3,852
		Stephanie Kasheta	2.0	3,487
		Other/Write-in votes	2.4	4,216

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 175,740
= 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 U.S. Senate Nevada

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nevada on June 14, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Laxalt	55.9	127,757
		Sam Brown	34.2	78,206
		Sharelle Mendenhall	3.0	6,946
		William Conrad	1.5	3,440
		William Hockstedler	1.2	2,836
		Paul Rodriguez	0.8	1,844
		Tyler Perkins	0.4	850
		Carlo Poliak	0.1	332
		Other/Write-in votes	2.7	6,277

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 228,488
= 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.

2016

Obama endorsement
During the 2016 election cycle Masto was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama
Full list of Obama's 2016 endorsements

See also: United States Senate election in Nevada, 2016

The race for Nevada's open U.S. Senate seat was one of Ballotpedia's nine competitive battleground races in 2016. Former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto (D) defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Heck (R), a doctor and brigadier general in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq, and four third-party candidates in the general election to win retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D) seat. Her victory on November 8, 2016, made her the first-ever Latina elected to the United States Senate.

Reid’s seat was the Republican Party’s only chance to pick up a Senate seat this cycle. Cortez Masto’s biggest ally was Reid, who used his get out the vote resources to make sure his seat stayed under Democratic control. Reid and outside groups heavily influenced the race and were partially responsible for the negative tone and numerous attack ads. According to USA Today, “The race was anything but cordial. Outside money flooded the state bringing the total spending to nearly $100 million. All that cash washed away nearly any real policy discussion, as attacks flew claiming Cortez Masto was incompetent and corrupt while Heck was a stooge for the billionaire Koch Brothers.”

In her victory speech, Cortez Masto commented on her status as the first Latina elected to the Senate, saying, "It's not just about making history. Don't you think it is about time that we had diversity in the U.S. Senate? Don't you think it's about time that our government mirrors the people we serve every day?"

U.S. Senate, Nevada General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Catherine Cortez Masto	47.1%	521,994
	Republican	Joe Heck	44.7%	495,079
	N/A	None of these candidates	3.8%	42,257
	Independent American	Tom Jones	1.5%	17,128
	Independent	Thomas Sawyer	1.3%	14,208
	Independent	Tony Gumina	1%	10,740
	Independent	Jarrod Williams	0.6%	6,888
Total Votes				1,108,294
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Nevada Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joe Heck	64.9%	74,524
Sharron Angle	22.8%	26,146
None of these candidates	3.4%	3,903
Tom Heck	3.1%	3,567
Eddie Hamilton	1.8%	2,057
D'Nese Davis	1.7%	1,938
Bill Tarbell	1%	1,179
Robert Leeds	0.6%	662
Juston Preble	0.5%	582
Carlo Poliak	0.2%	279
Total Votes		114,837
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. Senate, Nevada Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Catherine Cortez Masto	80.6%	81,971
Allen Rheinhart	5.6%	5,650
None of these candidates	5.4%	5,501
Liddo O'Briant	4.8%	4,842
Bobby Mahendra	3.7%	3,764
Total Votes		101,728
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

2014

See also: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2014

Masto was term limited from running for re-election as attorney general in 2014. She had been mentioned as a potential candidate for governor and lieutenant governor. In June 2013, she stated, "I am definitely not running for lieutenant governor," and in September she told the Las Vegas Sun that she would not be running for governor either in the 2014 elections. Masto said she wanted to finish out her term as attorney general and then focus on what the future may bring for her political career.

2010

See also: Nevada Attorney General election, 2010

• 2010 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary

• Catherine Cortez Masto ran unopposed in this contest

2010 Race for Attorney General - General Election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Democratic Party	a Catherine Cortez Masto	52.8%
	Republican Party	Travis Barrick	35.7%
	American Independent Party	Joel F. Hansen	7.8%
	None of these candidates		3.7%
Total Votes			704,332

2006

• 2006 Race for Attorney General - Democratic Primary

• Catherine Cortez Masto ran unopposed in this contest

2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Democratic Party	a Catherine Cortez Masto	52.8%
	Republican Party	Don Chairez	35.6%
	Write-In		5.3%
Total Votes			574,975

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Catherine Cortez Masto did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign advertisements

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• AdImpact: here and here.

2016

The following issues were listed on Masto's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Job Creation: In the Senate, I’ll work day and night to lift Nevada’s economy by fighting for higher wages for workers, promoting innovation and small business entrepreneurship, and making Nevada even more enticing for new sectors and companies to move here. Trade: As Attorney General, I refused to rubber-stamp a nationwide settlement with the big banks that was negotiated behind closed doors, because I thought Nevada families deserved – and could get – a better deal. We won that fight, which resulted in a historic $1.9 billion settlement with Bank of America that brought some much-needed relief to Nevada families who were defrauded out of their homes by the big banks. Protecting Seniors: As Attorney General, I created a special unit to go after scam artists who prey on Nevada seniors. In the Senate, I will fight to protect Medicare and Social Security from politicians who want to dismantle the programs. Immigration: I support comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders and allows millions of undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows to earn a path to citizenship. Congress needs to do its job and pass immigration reform to keep families together. Housing: As Attorney General, I went after Bank of America and the big banks who forced countless Nevada families out of their homes through fraudulent and predatory lending practices. This resulted in a historic $1.9 billion settlement that brought some relief to Nevadans who lost their homes during the collapse of the housing market. In the Senate, I will continue this fight to help Nevada families who are facing foreclosure through no fault of their own and hold accountable the big banks who prey on Nevada homeowners.	”
—Catherine Cortez Masto's campaign website, http://catherinecortezmasto.com/about

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable candidate endorsements by Catherine Cortez Masto

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Colin Allred  source 1  source 2  (D)	U.S. Senate Texas (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Catherine Cortez Masto

Measure	Position	Outcome
Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2022)  source	Oppose	Approved
Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)  source	Oppose	On the ballot

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Masto's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2017-Present: U.S. Senator from Nevada
• 2007-2015: Attorney general of Nevada

• Federal prosecutor
• Chief of staff to Nevada governor Bob Miller
• Assistant county manager, Clark County, Nevada

• 1990: Graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law with a J.D.
• 1986: Graduated from the University of Nevada with a B.A.

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2023-2024

Masto was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
• Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
• Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Energy
• Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, Chairman
• Subcommittee on Water and Power
• Committee on Finance
• Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
• Subcommittee on Health Care
• International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
• Committee on Indian Affairs

2021-2022

Masto was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Indian Affairs
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
• Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
• Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Energy
• Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, Chair
• Water and Power
• Committee on Finance
• Health Care
• International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
• Taxation and IRS Oversight

2019-2020

Masto was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on Rules and Administration
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Committee on Indian Affairs

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Cortez Masto was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Indian Affairs
• Committee on Aging (Special)
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Committee on Rules and Administration

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (87-13)
Yea	Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024   The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (H.R. 6363) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 17, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through January 19, 2024. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by November 17, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (87-11)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act   The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 5860) was a bill approved by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through November 17, 2023. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by October 1, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (88-9)
Yea	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (63-36)
Yea	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (68-23)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".   H.J.Res. 44 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate. The bill sought to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule establishing criteria to determine whether firearms equipped with stabilizing braces that facilitate shoulder fire were subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.	Failed (50-49)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (50-46)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 Vote Bill and description Status Yea Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (69-30) Yea American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (50-49) Yea Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (51-50) Yea National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (88-11) Yea James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (83-11) Yea Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (86-11) Yea Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (64-33) Yea Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Failed (46-48) Yea Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (68-31) Yea Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (61-36) Yea Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (72-25) Yea COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act   The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (S. 937) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 20, 2021, that included provisions to designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate expedited review of hate crimes, required the DOJ to issue guidance to law enforcement agencies aimed to establish online hate crime reporting processes and to raise awareness about hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and established state grants to create hate crime reporting hotlines, among other related provisions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (94-1) Yea Postal Service Reform Act of 2022   The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (H.R. 3076) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 6, 2022, that sought to address healthcare and retirement benefits for postal workers, allow USPS to provide certain nonpostal products and services, and expand service performance and budgetary reporting. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Passed (79-19) Yea Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Passed (65-33) Yea Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act   The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2021, that provided for continuing fiscal year 2022 appropriations to federal agencies through December 3, 2021, in order to prevent a government shutdown that would have otherwise occurred if fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills had not been passed by October 1, 2021. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate. Passed (65-35) Guilty Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Not guilty (57-43) Yea Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022   The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 (H.R. 350) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to expand the availability and reporting of information about domestic terrorism, enhance the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to prosecute domestic terrorism, among other things. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Failed (47-47) Yea A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.   This concurrent resolution (S.Con.Res. 14) was a budget resolution passed by the 117th Congress outlining the fiscal year 2022 federal government budget, setting forth budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023-2031, and providing reconciliation instructions for legislation that increased the deficit. It contained a proposed framework for the Build Back Better Act. The resolution required 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more. Passed (50-49) Yea Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more. Failed (49-51) Yea Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to concur in the House's version of the bill. Click here to read more. Passed (68-29) Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

Issues

Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act

On March 11, 2013, Masto, together with 12 other state attorneys general, sent a letter to Congress in support of the Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act, a bill that sought to ban for-profit colleges from using federal funds for marketing and recruiting techniques. Senators Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chaired the chamber's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, sponsored the bill. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) stated that the proposed law aimed to “ensure that scarce federal education dollars will be used to serve and educate students rather than to finance advertising campaigns, recruitment operations, and aggressive marketing.”

In the letter, the attorneys general wrote, “Federal taxpayers should not be asked to foot the bill for aggressive recruiting and deceptive sales tactics of colleges that have placed profits ahead of ensuring student success.” At the time, there were an estimated 3,000 for-profit schools nationwide, though neither the letter nor the bill cited the name of any specific institutions.

On March 12, 2013, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, but no subsequent action was taken and the bill died in committee. On April 23, 2013, a related bill—HR 340—was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce's subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, but it also died in committee.

Healthcare reform

See also: State Attorneys General Against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

Republican Governor Jim Gibbons, in a letter dated the day after President Barack Obama signed into law the health care overhaul bill, urged Catherine Cortez Masto to join other state attorneys general in filing suit against the federal legislation, saying that "if there was ever an appropriate time for a governor of this State to request a suit be commenced on behalf of the State of Nevada, this is that time." Health and welfare officials statewide estimated that the Medicaid requirement in the bill alone would cost Nevada an additional $613 million by the year 2019. In response, however, the Nevada Attorney General said that she was unwilling to do so, stating that "if this office institutes litigation against the Federal Government, that lawsuit will have a solid basis in law and will be able to withstand the scrutiny of a federal court."

About a week later, Masto came out against the idea of filing suit against the federal government, insisting that the "authority given to Congress is extensive and appears strong enough to support the act.” Gibbons said in response that he would consider his options on whether or not to move forward with the litigation on his own.

Audit

Masto was accused in December 2008 in the state audit released by the Nevada Legislature of "writing off as bad debts money owed to the state." According to Nevada State Statutes, only the Board of Examiners has the authority to approve such actions. And while the attorney general was a member of that board, she was only one of three and could not make unilateral decisions concerning monetary matters on her own. No concrete figure was cited "because of the difficulty auditors had in tracking funds through various accounting systems and spreadsheets," but some have cited the number may have been in the thousands.

Uber

In 2014, Cortez Masto filed a petition for a restraining order against ride-sharing company Über, seeking to prevent the company from operating in the state. When a judge refused to issue a statewide restraining order, Cortez Masto sought the injunction of Clark County Judge Douglas Herndon. Judge Herndon “refused to issue the temporary order…saying Uber doesn’t pose immediate risks to public safety.” Judge Herndon’s decision came despite contrary rulings in Washoe County and Carson City courts. Because of the multiple filings across the state, Judge Herndon accused the Attorney General’s office of “jumping around to different jurisdictions trying to get a ruling,” and an Über spokeswoman accused the state of killing jobs on the eve of Thanksgiving. Through legislation and regulatory action, Über was eventually granted authority to operate in the state.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Catherine Cortez Masto campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. Senate Nevada	Won general	$67,156,703	$64,370,361
2016	U.S. Senate, Nevada	Won	$16,063,917	N/A**
2010	NV Attorney General	Won	$654,848	N/A**
2006	NV Attorney General	Won	$1,653,972	N/A**
Grand total			$85,529,440	$64,370,361
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Cortez Masto's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Catherine Cortez Masto
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked Choice Voting Initiative (2022)	2022	Opposed	a Approved

See also

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Candidate

U.S. Senate Nevada

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Officeholder

U.S. Senate Nevada

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Harry Reid (D)	U.S. Senate Nevada 2017-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Attorney General of Nevada 2007-2015	Succeeded by -

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Nevada's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Catherine Masto (D)

Jacky Rosen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Dina Titus (D)

District 2

Mark Amodei (R)

District 3

Susie Lee (D)

District 4

Steven Horsford (D)

Democratic Party (5)

Republican Party (1)