Nevada held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 53 legislative seats. Control shifted: the Senate moved from a 11-10 Republican majority to a 11-10 Democratic majority; the Assembly moved from a 24-17 Republican majority to a 27-15 Democratic majority.
Highlights
- After losing both chambers in 2014, Democrats recaptured control of both, leaving Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) to work with a Democratic Legislature. Democrats picked Jason Frierson (D) as the first African-American Speaker, and with Aaron Ford as Senate majority leader, Nevada had African-Americans leading both chambers for the first time.
- The one-seat Senate majority came from the open Senate District 6, where Nicole Cannizzaro (D) beat Assemblywoman Victoria Seaman (R) by about 2 points. Democrats also had to hold Senate District 5, and Joyce Woodhouse (D) did, by 469 votes over Carrie Buck (R).
- In the Assembly, Frierson won back the seat he had lost by 40 votes in 2014, beating Norm Ross (R); Assemblyman John Moore (L), who had left the GOP to run as a Libertarian, finished a distant third. Democrats also took three open Republican seats: Brittney Miller (D) by 355 votes in Assembly District 5, Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (D) in Assembly District 34, and Sandra Jauregui (D) in Assembly District 41. They unseated six Republican incumbents:
- Skip Daly (D) beat Jill Dickman (R) in Assembly District 31 in a race so close it went to a recount.
- Lesley E. Cohen (D) beat Stephen H. Silberkraus (R) by 212 votes in Assembly District 29.
- Ozzie Fumo (D) beat Derek Armstrong (R) by about 5 points in Assembly District 21.
- Justin Watkins (D) beat Brent A. Jones (R) by about 9 points in Assembly District 35.
- Steve Yeager (D) beat David M. Gardner (R) by about 11 points in Assembly District 9.
- Chris Brooks (D) beat Shelly M. Shelton (R) by about 27 points in Assembly District 10.
- In all, 11 legislative seats changed party, every one of them to Democrats, and 9 races had only one candidate on the ballot.
- Voters approved all 4 statewide questions. Question 1, the universal background-check initiative for gun sales, passed narrowly. After the FBI refused to run the checks, Attorney General Adam Laxalt's office issued an opinion calling the law "unenforceable". Question 2 legalized recreational marijuana. Question 3 and Question 4 were constitutional amendments that had to pass again in 2018: Question 3 aimed to end NV Energy's monopoly, and Question 4 sought a sales-tax exemption for medical equipment.
Legislature
- Assembly (42 seats): 17 D, 25 R before the election, 27 D, 15 R after; control moved from Republicans to Democrats.
- Senate (21 seats): 10 D, 11 R before the election, 11 D, 9 R, 1 other or vacant after; control moved from Republicans to Democrats.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Background checks for gun purchases | Passed (50.45% yes) |
| Question 2 | Legalization of marijuana | Passed (54.47% yes) |
| Question 3 | Regulations on the energy market | Passed (72.36% yes) |
| Question 4 | Sales tax exemption for medical equipment | Passed (71.8% yes) |