Nevada held its general election on November 6, 2012, deciding 54 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Democrats held the Senate 11-10 against a GOP push that Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) went all in for. Because tax increases need a two-thirds vote and Sandoval holds the veto, it was unclear how much of an agenda the narrow majority could pass.
- Republicans won three of five competitive Senate races, leaving them one seat short of a majority:
- Sen. Greg Brower (R) held Senate District 15 by about 270 votes over Sheila Leslie (D), who had resigned her safely Democratic seat to challenge him.
- Mark Hutchison (R) took the open Senate District 6 by about 900 votes over Benny Yerushalmi (D), and Assemblyman Scott Hammond (R) won Senate District 18 by about 3 points.
- Democrats won the other two: Justin Jones (D) beat Mari Nakashima St. Martin (R) by about 300 votes in Senate District 9, and former Sen. Joyce Woodhouse (D) beat Steve Kirk (R) by about 4 points in Senate District 5.
- The night's lone incumbent defeat cost Assembly Democrats their leader-in-waiting. Former Majority Leader Marcus Conklin (D), expected to be named Speaker, had been given a court-drawn district with a slight Republican edge and lost Assembly District 37 by about 670 votes to Wesley Duncan (R), an Air Force reservist and political newcomer. Democrats instead chose a new Speaker for 2013, Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D). They still grew their Assembly majority from 26-16 to 27-15 by flipping two open Republican seats: District 21, won by Andy Eisen (D), and District 35, won by James Healey (D).
- Voters approved the lone statewide measure, Question 1, which lets the Legislature call itself into special session by a petition of two-thirds of each house and generally caps special sessions at 20 days.
Legislature
- Assembly (42 seats): 26 D, 16 R before the election, 27 D, 15 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (21 seats): 11 D, 10 R before the election, 11 D, 10 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Allow the legislature to call special sessions, limit them to 20 days except for impeachment, and require adjournment by midnight Pacific time. | Passed (54% yes) |