There will be more contested state legislative primaries in Nevada this year than at any point since at least 2014. Of the 106 possible primaries, 48 (45%) will be contested by more than one candidate.
Contested Republican primaries, in particular, more than doubled this year compared to 2020 from 15 to 31. Contested Democratic primaries also increased from 14 to 17. These numbers represent the most contested primaries for each party since at least 2014.
Thirteen incumbents face contested primaries, representing 38% of those incumbents seeking re-election, the largest such percentage since 2016 when 41% of incumbents faced contested primaries.
The filing deadline for candidates running for state or federal office in Nevada this year was March 18. Candidates filed to run for all of the state’s 42 state Assembly districts and 11 of the 21 Senate districts.
Nineteen of those districts were left open, meaning no incumbents filed to run, the largest number since at least 2014. That represents over one-third (36%) of the districts holding elections this year, all of which are guaranteed to be won by newcomers.
Overall, 180 major party candidates filed to run this year: 66 Democrats and 114 Republicans. That’s 3.4 candidates per district, an increase from the 2.5 candidates per district in 2020 and 2.7 in 2018.
Nevada has been a Democratic trifecta since 2018 when Steve Sisolak (D) won the governorship. Democrats currently hold an 11-9 majority in the Senate and a 26-16 majority in the Assembly.
Nevada’s state legislative primaries are scheduled for June 14, making them the 21st in the nation.
Additional reading:
Learn More
