2026Election Stories

Indy Elections
Every Tuesday
Our reporters take you beyond the sound bites to dig into Nevada politics, delivering scoops and smart analysis on key races and important policy issues.

One year out, Republicans preview how Nevadans will land on presidential nomination
By Gabby BirenbaumDespite his 2020 loss, ongoing legal woes and the stain of the Jan. 6 uprising, former President Donald Trump holds a strong structural advantage a year before Nevada Republicans vote for their party's next presidential nominee.

Follow the Money: Unions were biggest category donating to Legislature in 2022 cycle
By Jacob Solis, Sean GolonkaWith all or nearly all contributions from AFSCME and other major union groups going to legislative Democrats, the 2022 election cycle continued a longstanding trend of union support for the party.

In a statement, Monroe-Moreno said that "Nevada Democrats deserve new leadership dedicated to unity, transparency, and most importantly, electing Democrats at every level."

Follow the Money: Democratic lawmakers lead as record $13 million raised in 2022 cycle
By Sean Golonka, Jacob SolisThe multi-million dollar growth in fundraising for legislators came amid a competitive election cycle in Nevada with every top office up for grabs.

DNC approves nominating calendar with Nevada in second spot
By Gabby BirenbaumThe Democratic National Committee officially approved the new nominating calendar its Rules & Bylaws Committee had negotiated, elevating Nevada to the second spot in presidential elections.

The amount — more than $1.4 million more than Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) had at the outset of 2021, the year before her re-election campaign — gives the incumbent Democrat a substantial headstart over potential Republican challengers.

Follow the Money: Lombardo raised record amount after victory, bolstered by gaming
By Sean Golonka, Jacob SolisLombardo received significant contributions from donors previously supportive of Sisolak, including 27 maximum contributions totaling $270,000 from companies owned and operated by MGM Resorts International.

"I just wanted to, to the extent that we can, strengthen the rule against it, the penalty for it, make sure it never happens again, basically make it even more illegal than it was before," Daly, who represents a Sparks-area district, told The Nevada Independent.

With DNC meeting to propose 2024 presidential primary calendar, all eyes on Nevada
By Gabby BirenbaumWith Iowa potentially on the way out, a DNC committee could elevate Nevada – or New Hampshire – to first-in-the-nation status

Indy Explains: Nevada passed the ranked-choice voting, open primary ballot question. What happens next?
By Tabitha MuellerThough a ballot question proposing to implement open primaries and ranked-choice voting passed by a slim margin, another hurdle in the form of a second statewide vote in the 2024 election remains.

Ebert, a private sector benefits analyst, took the lead in the vote total over the weekend after following closely behind Weber several days after Election Day, as additional mail ballots were tabulated and processed.

After defeating election denier, Aguilar outlines plans for secretary of state's office
By Jacob SolisIn the days after media outlets called the race for secretary of state in his favor, Democrat Cisco Aguilar has often attributed his win to a single issue: Small-"d" democracy was on the ballot.

Goynes-Brown defeats Culinary-backed Spearman, becoming North Las Vegas's first Black mayor
By Naoka ForemanGoynes-Brown's father, Theron Goynes, was North Las Vegas mayor pro tempore after serving as the first Black North Las Vegas councilman in the 1980s, but she is taking the name further.

After surviving re-election, Cortez Masto pledges to block national abortion ban, 'not giving up' on immigration reform
By Jacob SolisCortez Masto spoke with The Nevada Independent in a phone interview Monday to discuss the election, how she plans to work with Republicans back in Nevada and on Capitol Hill, and her legislative priorities for a second term.

Despite wide Republican margins in Nevada's 15 rural counties, Laxalt — a former attorney general and one-time candidate for governor — was defeated amid numerically larger support for Cortez Masto from the state's two largest urban counties, Clark and Washoe.

Lombardo defeats Sisolak; Democrats win attorney general, secretary of state races
By Tabitha Mueller, Sean Golonka, Jacob SolisClark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo is projected to defeat Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, but split-ticket voters gave projected victories to statewide candidates on both sides of the aisle.

Nevada's three vulnerable House Democrats survive re-election challenges
By Sean Golonka, Tabitha MuellerBut last year's redistricting process, which saw Democratic state legislators redraw district lines to pull thousands of Democratic voters from deep-blue District 1 into neighboring Districts 3 and 4, appears to have paid off for the incumbents.

Democrats expected to retain control of Legislature, remain short of supermajority
By Tabitha MuellerAs the results for the midterm election pour in, Democrats appear to be maintaining control of the Legislature, but they will likely fall short of hoped-for supermajorities in either house.

Mail ballots submitted to county election officials that have signatures that do not match those on file require "cures," a process by which county election workers verify the identity of the voter in question before having their ballot counted.

Democratic incumbent on Clark County Commission takes razor-thin lead in District F race
By Naoka Foreman, Sean Golonka, Tabitha MuellerElsewhere in Southern Nevada, Pamela Goynes-Brown appears likely to become the first Black mayor of North Las Vegas, based on election results released just after midnight on Wednesday.