Efforts by Nevada Democrats to maintain majority control and expand to a supermajority in the state legislature are receiving support this election cycle from the national party.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), an official arm of the Democratic Party focused on state legislative races, announced on Tuesday, July 2, that it will bolster seven legislative candidates in Nevada as part of its “Summer of States” initiative, which includes a $10 million investment nationwide. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a DLCC board member, is among the local leaders involved.
Heather Williams, president of the DLCC, emphasized that the initiative will help “build and cement Democratic power” and prevent state-level attacks on Democratic priorities such as 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. “This year, we must build upon that progress by supporting this slate of strong candidates to strengthen our Democratic majorities.”
The DLCC previously supported five Democratic legislators in 2022, who won their races. The election will determine whether Democrats can secure a veto-proof majority in both chambers.
Republican Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed a record 75 bills during the 2023 Legislative Session, blocking Democratic priorities around tenant protections, eviction reforms, universal free lunch for K-12 schools, and healthcare for pregnant undocumented women.
The DLCC has highlighted two state Senate candidates: Assemblywoman Angie Taylor, who is seeking to flip an open seat in Senate District 15, and Jennifer Atlas, attempting to unseat Republican state Senator Carrie Buck in Senate District 5. Taylor, serving her first term in the Assembly, will face Republican Mike Ginsburg for the newly drawn district.
Democrats currently hold 13 of 21 Senate seats, one shy of a two-thirds supermajority.
Senate District 15 in Northern Nevada, historically Republican-held, was redrawn by Democrats in 2021 to give them an advantage. Republican state Senator Heidi Seevers Gansert had represented the district but 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, along with 29,178 registered nonpartisan voters.
In Southern Nevada’s Senate District 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, aims to unseat Buck, who has represented the district since 2020.
The Nevada Assembly Democratic Caucus is defending its slim supermajority, holding 28 of the 42 seats. Of the five Assembly candidates 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 for an open seat currently controlled by Republicans.
All five Democrats are facing Republicans backed by Governor Lombardo, who has prioritized flipping seats in the Assembly. If Republicans maintain their existing 14 seats and flip just one Democratic seat, they will break the supermajority.
In Assembly District 5, the only district among the targeted ones where Republicans outnumber Democrats, the seat is currently held by Republican Assemblyman Richard McArthur, who is running for a state Senate seat instead of seeking re-election in the Assembly. Democrat Ryan Hampton and Republican Lisa Cole are vying to succeed him.
There are 16,354 active registered Republican voters compared to 15,551 Democratic voters and 16,288 registered nonpartisan voters.
Assembly District 41, represented by Jauregui since 2016, has the better Democratic advantage of the targeted Assembly seats, with 15,644 active registered Democrats compared to 12,947 active registered Republicans and 18,562 active nonpartisan voters. Jauregui will compete against Rafael Arroyo.
In Assembly District 37, Backus, who first won her seat in 2018, was unseated in 2020 by Republican Andy Matthews, then reclaimed the seat in 2022 when Matthews ran successfully for state controller. Backus now faces David Brog.
The district has 16,955 registered Democrats, 16,032 registered Republicans, and 16,421 registered nonpartisan voters.
Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola, serving her first term in Assembly District 21, will face April Arndt. The district has 15,510 registered Democrats, 13,596 registered Republicans, and 16,799 registered nonpartisan voters.
In Assembly District 25, Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch, serving her first term, will face Diana Sande. There are 16,732 registered Democrats, 15,767 active Republican voters, and 13,842 nonpartisan voters in the district.
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