The two highest-ranking Democrats in the Nevada Assembly will not seek re-election next year but told The Nevada Independent that they are leaving the door open for other elected offices.

Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) and Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) will serve the rest of their terms through the end of 2026 but will leave their roles in the lower chamber 10 years after entering office.

Their decisions leave a void atop the Assembly Democratic Caucus. Assm. Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas), the speaker pro tempore and chair of the chamber’s powerful budget committee, previously told The Indy she would also not seek re-election. She instead plans to launch a bid for mayor of North Las Vegas. 

This isn’t the first time the two highest-ranking Democrats have left the Assembly at the same time. Speaker Jason Frierson (D-Las Vegas) and Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno) left the Assembly ahead of the 2022 elections, paving the way for the current duo to ascend to their roles.

“We've been in this scenario before, and the Legislature succeeded,” Jauregui said.

But their names could appear on future ballots.

Yeager said he will take the next couple of months to determine his next steps, which could include another run for office next year. He ruled out running for governor but floated the idea of running for treasurer. Treasurer Zach Conine, a Democrat, is running for attorney general.

“I'm just not ready to make that decision yet, but it's something I'm thinking about,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jauregui said, “I like to think that I still have a long future political career ahead of me,” but added she could see a world where she doesn’t run for office.

“Either I get re-energized and refreshed and I'm ready to run again … or I find out that I'm really enjoying life with friends and family and work, and I don't run again,” she said.

Asked what offices would interest her, Jauregui said “nothing that’s open right now.”

The departures mark an end to their two-session stint leading the Assembly Democratic Caucus in a divided government, with a Democrat-controlled Legislature and Republican governor.

Jauregui and Yeager said they had thought about not seeking re-election for several months, but it solidified in the weeks after this year’s session.

“The more I thought about whether I wanted to run for re-election, the more resolved I was that the timing just seemed right,” he said. “Now is the time to hand off the reins to the next generation of leaders. And I think we have folks in the caucus well positioned to do that.”

Yeager, who was born in Minnesota, added that the assassination of his friend, former House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D-MN), played a role in his decision.

“That's sort of always in the back of your mind,” he said. 

Jauregui added that the campaign cycle is particularly grueling.

“All that time you're spending on the election, you're not spending at work, and you're not spending with your friends and family,” she said.

They said they are proud of their work in the Assembly — Yeager highlighted policies related to outdoor recreation and mail ballots, while Jauregui, a survivor of the 1 October shooting, touted gun control reforms that she spearheaded — but added that they will not be far away.

“I'm Team Assembly through and through,” Yeager said.