By Michael Lyle
Efforts by the Nevada Democrats to maintain majority control and expand to a supermajority in the state legislature will receive a boost this election cycle from the national party.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) – an official arm of Democratic Party focused on state legislative races – announced Tuesday it will bolster seven legislative candidates in Nevada as part of its “Summer of States” initiative, which will include a $10 million investment across the country. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager is a DLCC board member.
Heather Williams, president of the DLCC, said the initiative will help “build and cement Democratic power” and prevent state-level attacks on Democratic priorities around reproductive rights and voting access.
“The DLCC has long engaged in Nevada, and our victories in 2022 ensured that fundamental freedoms are protected against GOP extremism,” she said in a statement. “This year we must build upon that progress by supporting this slate of strong candidates to strengthen our Democratic majorities.”
The DLCC supported five Democratic legislators in 2022. They all won their races.
This year’s election will determine whether Democrats secure a veto-proof majority in both chambers.
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed a record number 75 bills during the 2023 Legislative Session and blocked Democratic priorities around tenant protections, eviction reforms, universal free lunch for K-12 schools, and health care for pregnant undocumented women.
Senate seats targeted for red-to-blue flips
The two state Senate candidates being highlighted by the DLCC are Assemblywoman Angie Taylor, who is seeking to flip an open seat in Senate District 15, and Jennifer Atlas, who is attempting to unseat Republican state Sen. Carrie Buck in Senate District 5.
Democrats hold 13 of 21 Senate seats, which is one shy of a two-thirds supermajority.
SD 15 in Northern Nevada has historically been Republican held, but Democrats redrew the political boundary lines in 2021 to give them an advantage. The district is currently represented by Republican state Sen. Heidi Seevers Gansert, who decided not to seek re-election.
According to May active registration numbers from the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, there are 31,631 Democrats compared to 26,654 Republicans in the district. There are another 29,178 registered nonpartisan voters.
Taylor, who is serving her first term in the Assembly, will face Republican Mike Ginsburg for the newly drawn district.
In Southern Nevada’s SD 5, Republicans hold a voter advantage – with 31,419 active registered voters compared to Democrats’ 30,637. An additional 35,529 active registered voters are nonpartisan.
Atlas, a lobbyist, is looking to unseat Buck, who has represented the district since 2020.
Four Assembly incumbents, one newcomer to benefit
The Nevada Assembly Democratic Caucus is defending its slim supermajority in the Assembly where they currently hold 28 of the 42 seats.
Of the five Assembly candidates being bolstered by the DLCC, four are incumbents: Assemblywomen Sandra Jauregui, Selena La Rue Hatch, Shea Backus, and Elaine Marzola. The fifth candidate – Ryan Hampton – is running in an open seat currently controlled by Republicans.
All five Democrats are facing Republicans backed by Gov. Lombardo, who has made it a priority to flip seats in the Assembly. If Republicans can maintain their existing 14 seats and flip just one Democratic seat, they will break the supermajority.
Of the five Assembly districts being supported by the DLCC, Assembly District 5 is the only district where Republicans outnumber Democrats, though, as is true with all the targeted districts, nonpartisans makeup a significant portion of voters and have the potential to swing the election either way.
In AD 5, there are 16,354 active registered Republican voters compared to 15,551 Democratic voters. Additionally, there are 16,288 registered nonpartisan voters.
The seat is currently held by Republican Assemblyman Richard McArthur, who this year opted to run for a state senate seat instead of reelection in the assembly. (He lost in the Republican primary.)
Democrat Ryan Hampton and Republican Lisa Cole are now vying to succeed him.
Assembly District 41, which has been represented by Jauregui since 2016, has the largest Democratic advantage of the Assembly seats the DLCC is focusing on. There are 15,644 active registered Democrats compared to 12,947 active registered Republican voters in AD 41, according to May’s registration numbers. The district also has 18,562 active nonpartisan voters.
Jauregui will compete against Rafael Arroyo.
In Assembly District 37, Backus first won her seat in 2018. She was unseated in 2020 by Republican Andy Matthews then reclaimed the seat in 2022 when Matthews didn’t seek re-election and instead successfully ran for state controller.
Backus now faces David Brog.
The district currently has 16,955 registered Democrats, 16,032 registered Republicans and 16,421 registered nonpartisan voters.
In Assembly District 21, Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola, who is serving her first term, will face April Arndt.
The district has 15,510 registered Democrats,13,596 registered Republicans, and 16,799 registered nonpartisan voters.
Jauregui, Backus, and Marzola were bolstered by the DLCC in previous election cycles.
In Assembly District 25, Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch, who is serving her first term, will face off against Diana Sande.
There are 16,732 registered Democrats, 15,767 active Republican voters, and 13,842 nonpartisan voters in the district.
