Money pouring in for Nevada’s competitive legislative races

While all eyes are on how Nevada votes for president, candidates in the down-ballot legislative races are vying for seats that will determine party control of the Nevada Legislature — and are raising big bucks this cycle.

Candidates in 10 of the competitive legislative races have raised over $6 million this year in a fight over the control of the Legislature.

Republicans must maintain their current seat count in the Senate or pick up just one seat in the Assembly to block a Democratic supermajority, which occurs when one party holds two-thirds of the seats in a chamber, allowing it to override a gubernatorial veto and pass tax and revenue increases without needing a vote from the other side of the aisle.

Gov. Joe Lombardo and state Republicans have put their full force behind protecting his veto power — an authority the governor wielded often in the last session, breaking a record with 75 vetoes.

Committees on both sides of the aisle have also run ad campaigns for and against candidates. Service First Fund, for instance, has led campaign ads for Republican Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, while a PAC tied to Democratic Speaker Steve Yeager has contributed funds to run attack ads on the assemblywoman running against Democratic candidate Ron Nelsen.

There’s more than 10 races that could determine whether Democrats achieve a supermajority in both houses. In the Senate, those include District 5, where Republican Sen. Carrie Buck faces Democratic challenger Jennifer Atlas; District 11 where Democratic Sen. Dallas Harris faces Republican Lori Rogich. In District 15, Democratic candidate Angie Taylor and Republican Mike Ginsburg also face off for the Reno seat.

In the Assembly, those races include District 2, where Republican Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama fights Democratic challenger Ron Nelsen; District 4 where Republican Lisa Cole and Democrat Ryan Hampton face off; District 21 where Democratic Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola faces Republican challenger April Arndt; District 25 with Democratic Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch going up against Republican Diana Sande; District 29 with Democrat Joe Dalia and Republican Annette Dawson; District 37 with Democratic Assemblywoman Shea Backus facing Republican David Brog; and District 41 between Democratic Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui and Republican challenger Rafael Arroyo.

Highlights

Of the 10 competitive seats featured, Republicans outraised Democrats by less than $300,000. The Republican candidates raised about $3.2 million, and the Democratic candidates raised nearly $3 million.

Out of all the candidates in the 10 competitive races featured, Hampton, a Democratic candidate for Assembly District 4, raised the most, raising over $435,000 in 2024, according to his latest campaign finance report. Democratic candidate Nelsen raised the least with nearly $97,000. Hampton has also spent the most with $470,000, and Democratic candidate La Rue Hatch spent the least with nearly $56,000.

PACS get involved

Conservative-backing committees like Better Nevada, Keystone Corporation and Stronger Nevada have donated to Republican candidates like Buck, Arndt, Rogich, Brog and Cole. UFC President Dana White has also made $5,000 contributions to the campaigns of several Republican candidates.

Democratic-backing committees like Nevada Strong and New Day Nevada have donated to Democratic candidates including Backus, Jauregui and Marzola as well as newcomers Hampton and Atlas.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.