Nevada Attorney General 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
Nevada Attorney General
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): Adam Laxalt (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Nevada
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

State Sen. Aaron Ford (D) defeated former state Assemblyman Wesley Duncan (R) and Las Vegas attorney Joel Hansen (Independent American) for attorney general of Nevada in the general election on November 6, 2018.

Incumbent Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R), who was first elected in 2014, ran for governor of Nevada rather than seeking re-election.

Nevada was a Republican triplex with Republicans holding the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. In the five presidential elections leading up the 2018 race, Nevada was won by the Democratic candidate in 2008, 2012, and 2016, and by the Republican candidate in 2000 and 2004. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's (D) 13 percent margin in 2008. The narrowest was Hillary Clinton's (D) two percent margin in 2016.

Governing rated the seat a toss-up based on early polling in the race.

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

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Attorney General of Nevada

Aaron Ford defeated Wesley Duncan and Joel Hansen in the general election for Attorney General of Nevada on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Ford (D)	47.2	456,225
		Wesley Duncan (R)	46.8	451,692
		Joel Hansen (Independent American Party)	3.3	32,259
		Other/Write-in votes	2.6	25,577

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 965,753 (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 Attorney General of Nevada

Aaron Ford defeated Stuart MacKie in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Ford	78.1	94,699
		Stuart MacKie	21.9	26,619

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 121,318
= 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 Attorney General of Nevada

Wesley Duncan defeated Craig Mueller in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wesley Duncan	65.5	82,453
		Craig Mueller	34.5	43,361

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 125,814
= 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.

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Aaron Ford, state senator

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: Nevada State Senate (assumed office: 2012)

Biography: Ford earned his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University, master's degree from George Washington University, and J.D., M.A., and Ph.D. from Ohio State University. He worked as a law clerk in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals before becoming a litigator at several law firms. His practice areas were education, complex commercial litigation, and consumer protection.

Key messages

• Ford shared his journey from being the first in his family to graduate from college to earning five degrees to explain why he wanted to run for attorney general. He said, "Across our state, there are Nevadans who are struggling to pay the bills, trying to juggle work while raising a family, battling addiction, growing up in unsafe neighborhoods, or being taken advantage of by unscrupulous scammers and lenders. These Nevadans deserve a champion in their corner."

• Ford said he would focus on prosecuting "violent criminals and drug dealers, supporting victims of crime, reducing recidivism, and improving mental health and substance abuse programs".

Wes Duncan, former state assemblyman

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: Nevada State Assembly (2013-2014)

Biography: Duncan earned his bachelor's degree from U.C. Berkeley and J.D. from Ohio State Moritz College of Law. After graduating from loaw school, Duncan became an Air Force judge advocate and was deployed to the Middle East, where he worked at the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. He also worked in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office and as Nevada’s first assistant attorney general.

Key messages

• Duncan said he ran for attorney general because he wanted "to make Nevada the safest place to raise a family." He highlighted his endorsement from five chiefs of police.

• Duncan said he supported toughening sentencing standards for violent criminals, increasing access to mental health resources, providing housing arrangements for victims of domestic violence, and partnering with local communities for early intervention.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Nevada attorney general election, 2018
Poll	Poll sponsor	Ford	Duncan	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size
Mellman Group April 12-19, 2018	Ralston Reports	36%	27%	37%	+/-4.0	600
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 editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Nevada secretary of state.

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.

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.

General election endorsements
Endorsement	Ford	Duncan
National and state figures
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)	✔
Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R)		✔
Organizations
Latin Chamber of Commerce		✔
Nevada State Education Association	✔
Newspapers
Las Vegas Review Journal		✔

Campaign advertisements

Aaron Ford

Support

"Come From" - Ford ad, released September 23, 2018

Wes Duncan

Support

"Tested" - Duncan ad, released September 13, 2018

Campaign themes

These were the policy positions listed on the candidates' websites, if available.

Aaron Ford

“	WHERE I STAND Fellow Nevadans, I wanted to make sure you were among the first to know that I am running for Attorney General of Nevada. In the last few years, the Attorney General’s office in Nevada has become a vehicle to promote partisan politics and advance an extreme, ideological agenda that is far outside the mainstream. Nevadans deserve better from their top law enforcement officer. I will be an Attorney General who always puts your families first. Our country is facing a more uncertain political climate than we’ve seen in decades. Partisan polarization has created an environment that lacks civil discourse and amplifies divisions. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have an Attorney General who will put politics aside and focus on using all the legal tools necessary to protect Nevada’s families -- many of whom rightly feel like the system is rigged against them. When I was a kid, the dream of going to college or buying a home seemed out of reach. My father Larry was a produce worker at a Safeway grocery store until the chain withdrew from Texas in the mid-1980s. My mother Denise worked various jobs throughout my childhood. Our family spent many nights wondering if the gas, electricity and water would turn on the next day. I didn’t understand how we could all be working so hard, yet couldn’t seem to get ahead. When my parents divorced, my mom told me I would have to be the “man of the house,” which required me to look after my siblings and make sure our house was in order while she worked nights. Despite these added responsibilities, she insisted that I never fall back on my studies and always keep my “head in the books!” I might not have realized my full potential, but I had a mom whose dreams for me expanded beyond the neighborhood block I grew up on. She signed me up for “Project Upward Bound,” a Saturday-school and summer program dedicated to helping students who could be the first in their family to graduate from college. With encouragement and guidance, I received a scholarship to Texas A&M University, and ultimately became the first in my family to graduate from college. After graduating, I moved to Austin, Texas, with my wife Berna and our son Avery, where I worked as a middle school math teacher while Berna finished her law degree. A year later, we moved to Washington, D.C., so that I could continue my education at George Washington University, where I worked as a high school teacher while earning a master’s degree in international education. My mother’s constant reminder to keep my “head in the books” must have really worked, because our next journey as a family took us to Columbus, Ohio, where I pursued and received a master’s degree in educational administration, a law degree and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University. To provide for our family during that time, I held five jobs: teaching high school math; waiting tables at Outback Steakhouse; working at a local law firm; and performing research for two different professors. Berna held four jobs of her own. She clerked for a judge, sold clothes at Marshall Field's, served as a mediator and edited articles for a legal publication. Berna and I reflect on these days often, because they taught us so much about hard work and perseverance. It could have been easy for a kid like me in the neighborhood I grew up in to fall through the cracks, to become just another statistic. The commitment of my mother, the endless support of my wife, and programs like “Project Upward Bound” helped me manage to seize opportunities that came my way. It also made me realize the importance of having champions in my corner. Across our state, there are Nevadans who are struggling to pay the bills, trying to juggle work while raising a family, battling addiction, growing up in unsafe neighborhoods, or being taken advantage of by unscrupulous scammers and lenders. These Nevadans deserve a champion in their corner too -- someone who will finally stick up for them. That’s why I became a legislator in the first place, and that’s why I’m running for Attorney General. My mom taught me there is no challenge too big that can’t be overcome through hard work and a commitment to doing what’s right. It’s that same attitude that we need guiding our Attorney General’s office. There is no criminal too ruthless and no corporation too powerful that I won’t take on if they are hurting Nevadans. You’ll be able to rely on me to uphold the rule of law and act as the last line of defense against anyone who tries to take an unconstitutional action or threaten the principles and rights of Nevadans. As a state Senator, I fought to protect Nevadans and help them keep the money they worked hard for and earned. I pushed to pass paid sick leave, cracked down on payday lenders, and passed the strongest pharmaceutical transparency bill in the nation. I helped lead the effort to bring rooftop solar energy back to Nevada, which has already created countless good-paying jobs across our state. I’ve also worked to reform our justice system by being both tough and smart on crime. I believe Nevada’s Attorney General should take the same approach -- focusing on going after violent criminals and drug dealers, supporting victims of crime, reducing recidivism and improving mental health and substance abuse programs. I will also ensure that our justice system is efficient and effective by increasing transparency and analyzing data to see what’s working and what’s not. To the brave law enforcement officers and first responders keeping Nevada safe: I will fight to ensure you have the resources necessary to combat crime and the protections in place to stay safe on the job. In Carson City, I worked to increase penalties for criminals who attack our law enforcement officers, because anyone who targets those who put their lives on the line to protect our communities should be punished to the full extent of the law. As Attorney General, I’ll keep Nevadans safe and work to help strengthen the middle class by standing up to anyone who tries to take advantage of them. I’ll take on scammers who rip off our seniors, insurance companies who deny care, polluters who poison our air and water, and criminals and drug dealers who prey on our families. I’ll also fight for vulnerable communities who are being targeted by the federal government, including the 13,000 DACA recipients living and working in Nevada. I will be the people’s Attorney General. Critics will look at my goals and claim it can’t be done. My promise to you is that I will never forget the lessons I learned as a kid: there is no goal too lofty, no challenge too big, no mountain too high if we are committed to doing what’s right. Over the course of this campaign, I will be traveling across the state to listen to my fellow Nevadans, hear your concerns and develop comprehensive solutions that are right for your community. I look forward to our conversations, and to earning your support. All my best, Aaron Ford	”
—Ford for Nevada

Wes Duncan

“	Safer Nevada Plan The first job of Nevada’s Attorney General is to keep people safe. I am running for Attorney General because I want to make Nevada the safest place to raise a family. The Attorney General is responsible for prosecuting dangerous criminals, protecting consumers from deceptive business practices, and everything in between. It’s a job that takes leadership and requires constant teamwork across numerous law enforcement agencies throughout Nevada. I have traveled to every county in Nevada and discussed law enforcement priorities with the officers who actually patrol your neighborhood. I’m proud to be the only candidate endorsed by our sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys and prosecutors in Nevada, and I have used their feedback to build an outline of how we can make Nevada a safer place for all of us to live. TOUGH ON CRIME: Violent crime, often perpetrated by hardened career criminals, can only be deterred by the prospect of real punishment. I believe we need to toughen sentencing standards for violent criminals, home invaders, domestic and elder abusers. These are brutal, premeditated crimes that tear at the fabric of our communities. When it comes to committing such crimes in Nevada, every criminal should know one thing: Hard criminals will serve hard time – period. SMART ON CRIME: A large percentage of police interactions occur in proximity to mental illness (this often occurs when someone represents a threat to themselves or others during a mental health crisis, and sometimes breaking a law). Someone calls 9-1-1 and, too often, these people end up in jails or traditional emergency rooms that are not equipped to properly diagnose or treat them. Often times, the same individuals end up in the same jails and emergency rooms, again and again, at taxpayer expense. As your next Attorney General, I want to reform this wasteful cycle and get our police officers back on patrol in our communities. There are effective mental health resources that already work well in some parts of our state which we should replicate, including psychiatric ERs and Mobile Outreach Safety Teams (MOST). In terms of breaking the cycle of domestic violence, Nevada’s biggest missing link is transitional housing for victims of domestic abuse. Nevada is the second worst state in the U.S. for men killing women – an unacceptable and wholly preventable statistic. In Nevada, abuse victims must be able to swiftly escape from dangerous situations – which means housing arrangements that allow children, some pets and other potential victims. These are small changes, but they save lives. Being smart on crime also means knowing how to put plans into action without breaking the bank for taxpaying Nevadans. As the First Assistant Attorney General of Nevada from 2015 to 2017, I served as Vice Chair of the Sexual Assault Kit Working Group. Our mission was to clear a backlog of 8,000 untested sexual assault kits from around our state. Some of these kits dated back to the 1980s. We did just that, and we didn’t charge the taxpayer a single penny. Instead, we did the hard work of securing a mix of federal grants and state settlement funds to pay for the thousands of DNA tests required to clear the backlog. The result: over a dozen arrests have resulted from testing those backlogged kits. Nevada got a little bit safer. EARLY INTERVENTION: Most crime is not committed by hardened criminals or the mentally ill. As your Attorney General, I will partner with local communities to foster the development of after-school programs and youth outreach to prevent the root causes of crime. The classroom is where our kids develop social skills, make friends, and learn to work together. After-school programs are a healthy way to build on those schoolhouse lessons. In Nevada, plenty of character-building youth organizations exist beyond the school yard as well. Organizations like the Las Vegas Metro Police Explorers, community sports leagues, After School All Stars, the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets, and many others. A big part of crime prevention involves giving young people something healthy to fill the space where criminality so often develops. We should be proactive in meeting that challenge. As your Attorney General, I will make partnering with community organizations a priority. MY PROMISE All of these plans have one major thing in common: partnership. A good Attorney General is someone who engages every entity responsible for public safety, in each unique community, and keeps up a continuous dialogue to understand how to best support them. In this way, the Attorney General is also among the best positioned to learn and spread best practices across our state and ensure that we are keeping what works and scraping what doesn’t. A good Attorney General is a servant-leader. As a military officer and as the former First Assistant Attorney General, I have spent my life in public service building and maintaining those kinds of relationships. I believe that is why I have the endorsement of Nevada law enforcement. I promise that, first and foremost, I will be a partner to your community. That is how we will make Nevada the safest place to raise a family.	”
—Duncan for Attorney General

Social media

Twitter accounts

Tweets by WesDuncan Tweets by barrforcongress

Facebook accounts

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Aaron Ford

Wes Duncan

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

Attorney General of Nevada, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Adam Paul Laxalt	46.2%	251,379
	Democratic	Ross Miller	45.3%	246,629
	Independent American	Jonathan Hansen	5.6%	30,513
	Independent	None of these candidates	2.9%	15,629
Total Votes				544,150
Election results via Nevada Secretary of State

2010

Attorney General of Nevada, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Catherine Cortez Masto Incumbent	52.8%	372,011
	Republican	Travis Barrick	35.7%	251,269
	American Independent	Joel F. Hansen	7.8%	54,980
	Nonpartisan	None of these candidates	3.7%	26,072
Total Votes				704,332
Election results via Nevada Secretary of State

2006

Attorney General of Nevada, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Catherine Cortez Masto	59%	339,465
	Republican	Don Chairez	35.6%	204,816
	Nonpartisan	None of these candidates	5.3%	30,694
Total Votes				574,975

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: 1992-2024
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
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
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
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

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

• Nevada attorney general official website