United States Senate election in Nevada, 2018

Elections in Nevada, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9 (mail), Oct. 16 (in-person), or Oct. 18 (online)
• Early voting: Oct. 20 - Nov. 2
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State Assembly • Supreme court • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2022 → ← 2016
U.S. Senate, Nevada
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Dean Heller (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Nevada
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
U.S. Senate, Nevada U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Nevada elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Arizona U.S. Senate raceCalifornia U.S. Senate raceConnecticut U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceFlorida U.S. Senate raceHawaii U.S. Senate raceIndiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMaryland U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate race (special)Mississippi U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate race (special)Missouri U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNevada U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNew York U.S. Senate raceNorth Dakota U.S. Senate raceOhio U.S. Senate racePennsylvania U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceUtah U.S. Senate raceVermont U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWashington U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWisconsin U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) defeated incumbent Sen. Dean Heller (R) and three others in the general election on November 6, 2018, to represent Nevada in the United States Senate.

Thirty-five of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were up for election in 2018, including two seats up for special election. Republicans gained four previously Democratic-held seats and Democrats gained two previously Republican-held seats, resulting in a net gain of two seats for the Republican Party and a 53-seat majority in the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the chamber in the 116th Congress. At the time of the election, Republicans held a 51-seat Senate majority. Democrats held 47 seats, and the two independents caucused with them. Democrats faced greater partisan risk in 2018, as they were defending 26 seats while Republicans were only defending nine. Democrats had to defend seats in 10 states Donald Trump (R) won. The GOP defended one Senate seat in a state Hillary Clinton (D) won.

That one Senate seat was held by Dean Heller. He was appointed in 2011 and won in the 2012 election by 1.2 percentage points. Clinton won Nevada by 2.4 percentage points in 2016. The Senate race was rated as a Toss-up by ratings outlets. The Hill listed this among 10 U.S. Senate seats it considered most likely to flip in 2018.

Third-party and independent candidates included Kamau Bakari (Independent American Party), Libertarian Tim Hagan, and independent Barry Michaels.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Nevada

Jacky Rosen defeated incumbent Dean Heller, Barry Michaels, Tim Hagan, and Kamau Bakari in the general election for U.S. Senate Nevada on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jacky Rosen (D)	50.4	490,071
		Dean Heller (R)	45.4	441,202
		Barry Michaels (Independent)	1.0	9,269
		Tim Hagan (L)	0.9	9,196
		Kamau Bakari (Independent American Party)	0.7	7,091
		Other/Write-in votes	1.6	15,303

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 972,132 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Richard Charles (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nevada

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jacky Rosen	82.9	110,567
		David Drew Knight	4.8	6,346
		Allen Rheinhart	3.6	4,782
		Jesse Sbaih	3.4	4,540
		Bobby Mahendra	2.9	3,835
	Submit photo	Daniel Burleigh	2.4	3,244

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 133,314
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nevada

Incumbent Dean Heller defeated Tom Heck, Sherry Brooks, Sarah Gazala, and Vic Harrell in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Nevada on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dean Heller	73.0	99,509
		Tom Heck	19.3	26,296
	Submit photo	Sherry Brooks	3.8	5,145
		Sarah Gazala	2.9	4,011
	Submit photo	Vic Harrell	0.9	1,282

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 136,243
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Danny Tarkanian (R)

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Dean Heller, U.S. senator from Nevada

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. senator (2011-present); U.S. representative (2007-2011); Nevada secretary of state (1995-2007); Nevada state assemblyman (1990-1994)

Biography: Dean Heller earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, specializing in finance and securities analysis, from the University of Southern California. His political career began in the Nevada State Assembly in 1990.

Key messages

• Heller presented himself as the candidate who had gotten things done. He said he passed more than 100 pieces of legislation and that Rosen passed none before running for the Senate.

• Heller emphasized his record on veterans issues, saying he passed 40 pieces of legislation to help veterans.

• He said he worked across the aisle and had broken with his party line. Heller said he was ranked the fifth most bipartisan senator.

Jacky Rosen, U.S. representative from Nevada

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: U.S. representative from Nevada's 3rd Congressional District (Assumed office: 2017)

Biography: Rosen earned her B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She worked as a computer programmer, software developer, and designer. She was also the president of Congregation Ner Tamid synagogue.

Key messages

• Rosen emphasized her background as the first in her family to graduate college, as a computer programmer, and as a business owner, presenting herself as the candidate who would work for policies that strengthen opportunities for the middle class.

• Rosen said that Heller voted for Trump's policies 96 percent of the time in 2017. Her campaign ads referred to Heller as "Senator Spineless," saying he broke a promise by voting for an Obamacare repeal bill due to pressure from his party.

• Rosen said she was ranked one of the most bipartisan members of the House and referred to her membership on the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan House caucus.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Throughout September and October 2018, 10 polls found Heller and Rosen tied within the polls' margins of error.

U.S. Senate election in Nevada, Heller (R) v. Rosen (D) v. Hagan (L)
Poll	Poll sponsor	Dean Heller	Jacky Rosen	Tim Hagan	Undecided/None	Margin of error	Sample size
SSRS October 24-29, 2018	CNN	45%	48%	2%	4%	+/-4.8	622
NBC/Marist Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2018	N/A	44%	42%	8%	6%	+/-5.5	574
SSRS September 25-29, 2018	CNN	43%	47%	4%	5%	+/-4.6	693
AVERAGES		44%	45.67%	4.67%	5%	+/-4.97	629.67
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

U.S. Senate election in Nevada, Heller (R) v. Rosen (D) (with "Other" and "Don't know" options)
Poll	Poll sponsor	Dean Heller	Jacky Rosen	Other	Don't know	Margin of error	Sample size
Ipsos/Reuters/UVA October 12-19, 2018	N/A	47%	41%	8%	4%	+/-3.3	1,137
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

U.S. Senate election in Nevada, Heller (R) v. Rosen (D)
Poll	Poll sponsor	Dean Heller	Jacky Rosen	Undecided/None	Margin of error	Sample size
Emerson College November 1-4, 2018	N/A	45%	49%	4%	+/-3.0	1,197
Public Policy Polling October 15-16, 2018	Protect Our Care	46%	48%	7%	+/-3.9	648
Vox Populi (Democrat vs. Republican only, no undecided option) October 13-15, 2018	N/A	44%	44%	0%	+/-3.7	614
NYT Upshot/Siena College October 8-10, 2018	N/A	47%	45%	7%	+/-4.0	642
NBC/Marist Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2018	N/A	46%	44%	9%	+/-5.5	574
Ipsos September 7-17, 2018	N/A	46%	43%	8%	+/-3.7	1,039
Gravis September 11-12, 2018	N/A	45%	47%	8%	+/-3.7	700
Public Policy Polling August 20-21, 2018	Protect Our Care	43%	48%	9%	+/-4.3	500
Suffolk University July 24-29, 2018	N/A	41%	40%	9%	+/-4.4	500
AVERAGES		44.78%	45.33%	6.78%	+/-4.02	712.67
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

U.S. Senate election in Nevada, Heller (R) v. Rosen (D) v. Hagan (L) v. Bakari (Independent American) v. Michaels (Independent)
Poll	Dean Heller	Jacky Rosen	Tim Hagan	Kamau Bakari	Barry Michaels	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Suffolk University September 5-10, 2018	41%	42%	2%	2%	2%	9%	+/-4.4	500
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected].

Click [show] to view polling conducted before the June 12, 2018, primary.

U.S. Senate election in Nevada, Heller (R) v. Rosen (D) Poll Dean Heller (R) Jacky Rosen (D) Undecided Margin of Error Sample Size Public Policy Polling April 30-May 1, 2018 42% 44% 14% +/-3.9 637 Axios/Survey Monkey April 2-23, 2018 44% 50% 6% +/-5.0 1,332 Mellman Group April 12-19, 2018 40% 39% 21% +/-4.0 600 Public Policy Polling March 15-17, 2018 39% 44% 17% +/-3.7 720 Public Policy Polling June 23-25, 2017 41% 42% 17% +/-3.9 648 Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected] Republican primary U.S. Senate election in Nevada, Republican primary Poll Danny Tarkanian Dean Heller Undecided Margin of Error Sample Size JMC Analytics October 24-26, 2017 44% 38% 17% +/-4.4 500 JMC Analytics August 24-25, 2017 39% 31% 31% +/-3.7 700 Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]

PredictIt Prices

This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Dean Heller	Republican Party	$15,516,789	$15,577,377	$164,634	As of December 31, 2018
Jacky Rosen	Democratic Party	$26,242,152	$26,079,221	$178,190	As of December 31, 2018
Kamau Bakari	Independent American Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Tim Hagan	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Barry Michaels	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• The American Chemistry Council spent more than $340,000 in June on an ad buy favoring Heller, saying he supported Trump's tax legislation, cutting regulations, and aiding veterans.

• Clean Air Moms Action spent $500,000 on an ad campaign in July 2018 that said Heller "backs the dirty air agenda" of oil and gas industry polluters.

• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent $7.9 million on ads opposing Heller through November 1.

• The National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $4.9 million on ads opposing Rosen through November 4.

• One Nation spent $1 million in August 2018 on an ad criticizing Rosen for voting against the Republican tax bill.

• Senate Leadership Fund (SLF)
  • Total spending from this group opposing Rosen and supporting Cramer was $16.4 million through November 3.
  • The SLF launched a $2.3 million television ad campaign opposing Rosen on October 16.
  • The SLF reserved $11.2 million in TV advertising for Nevada's Senate race. The group released ads opposing Rosen.

• Senate Majority PAC
  • Total spending for this group on activities supporting Rosen and opposing Cramer was $14.8 million through November 1.
  • The group spent $4.4 million on ads opposing Heller through September.

• Silver State Rural, a Democratic super PAC, bought $880 in print ads for local papers in rural areas of Nevada. The ads criticized Heller's votes related to rural broadband projects, the Korea Free Trade Agreement, and currency manipulation provisions in trade agreements.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Nevada, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018	October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

General election endorsements
Endorsement	Rosen (D)	Heller (R)
National figures
Former President Barack Obama (D)	✔
Elected officials
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)	✔
Organizations
Nevada Law Enforcement Coalition		✔
Newspapers
Las Vegas Review-Journal		✔

Timeline

• November 4, 2018: An Emerson College poll showed Rosen with 49 percent support to Heller's 45 percent; the margin of error was 3 percent.

• November 1-2, 2018: On November 1, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) campaigned with Rosen and other Nevada Democrats. On November 2, Donald Trump, Jr. campaigned with Heller and other Republican candidates.

• October 29, 2018: A CNN poll showed Heller and Rosen tied within the margin of error.

• October 27, 2018: Vice Pres. Mike Pence (R) spoke in support of Heller at an event in Nevada.

• October 25, 2018: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) attended two rallies in support of Rosen.

• October 22, 2018: Former Pres. Barack Obama (D) campaigned for Rosen at a rally.

• October 20, 2018: Pres. Donald Trump (R) attended a rally for Heller, and former Vice Pres. Joe Biden (D) attended a rally in support of Rosen. This was the first day of early voting in Nevada.

• October 19, 2018: A poll showed Heller leading Rosen by 6 percentage points. The poll's margin of error was +/- 3.3 percentage points.

• October 19, 2018: Heller and Rosen participated in a debate.

• October 16, 2018: The Senate Leadership Fund launched a $2.3 million television ad campaign opposing Rosen.

• October 3-10, 2018: Two polls found Rosen and Heller tied within the margin of error.

• September 29, 2018: A fourth September poll showed Heller and Rosen tied within the margin of error. Rosen led by 4 points, and the poll had a margin of error of +/-4.6 percentage points.

• September 20, 2018: Pres. Donald Trump held a rally for Heller and other Nevada GOP candidates in Las Vegas.

• September 10-12, 2018: Two polls were released that showed Heller and Rosen tied within margins of error. One was conducted by Gravis and the other by Suffolk University.

• August 21, 2018: Public Policy Polling released a a poll showing Rosen leading Heller by 5 points, 48 percent to 43 percent. The margin of error was 4.3 percentage points.

• August 1, 2018: Rosen was endorsed by former President Barack Obama (D).

• July 29, 2018: A Suffolk Univerity poll showed Heller and Rosen tied within the margin of error.

• June 23, 2018: Heller was joined by President Donald Trump (R) at the Nevada Republican Party convention. Trump said, "He cut your taxes and nobody fought harder to cut your taxes than Dean Heller, let me tell you." He contrasted Heller with Rosen, who he said wanted to raise taxes.

• April 16, 2018: Rosen released her first television ad where she discussed her background as a waitress, software developer, and elder caregiver.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Dean Heller

Support

"What Matters" - Heller ad, released November 3, 2018

"Pasando Leyes para Ayudar a Nuestra Comunidad" - Heller ad, released October 19, 2018

"Ayudando a Nuestros Empresarios Ayudamos a Nuestra Comunidad" - Heller ad, released Ocotber 19, 2018

"Accomplished" - Heller ad, released October 2, 2018

"Heroes" - Heller ad, released September 11, 2018

"Action" - Heller ad, released August 8, 2018

"Honor" - Heller ad, released July 25, 2018

"Needlessly" - One Nation ad, released July 20, 2018

"Built a Business?" - Heller campaign ad, released July 12, 2018

"Leading" - One Nation ad, released June 10, 2018

"Fighting for Veterans" - Heller campaign ad, released June 14, 2018

"24/7 to Get the Job Done" - Heller campaign ad, released November 3, 2017

Oppose

"Heller’s Health Plan: 'Throwing a 10-Foot Rope to Somebody in a 20-Foot Hole'" - People for the American Way ad, released November 1, 2018

"Weaken" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released October 25, 2018

"Our Turn" - DCCC ad, released October 25, 2018

"Dean" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 19, 2018

"Esa mujer" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 18, 2018

"Gutless" - DSCC ad, released October 16, 2018

"Caved" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released October 11, 2018

"One in Four" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 9, 2018

"Broken Promises" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released October 2, 2018

"Clips" - Rosen campaign ad, released September 25, 2018

"I Was At The Town Hall" - DSCC ad, released September 18, 2018

"Let's Do That" - Rosen campaign ad, released September 17, 2018

"Day One" - Rosen campaign ad, released September 10, 2018

"Personal" - Majority Forward ad, released September 10, 2018

"Lo Que El Viento Se Llevó" - Rosen campaign ad, released September 5, 2018

"Caved" - Rosen campaign ad, released August 31, 2018

"Doctor" - Rosen campaign ad, released August 23, 2018

"Tied" - Rosen campaign ad, released August 11, 2018

"No Wonder" - Rosen campaign ad, released August 10, 2018

"Compas" - Rosen campaign ad, released August 1, 2018

"Follow the Money Payday" - End Citizens United ad, released August 1, 2018

"Follow the Money Pharma" - End Citizens United ad, released August 1, 2018

"Line" - Rosen ad, released July 27, 2018

"Dean Heller is Protecting Polluters" - Clean Air Moms Action ad, released July 17, 2018

"Tube" - Rosen campaign ad, released July 13, 2018

"Not With Us" - Senate Majority PAC ad, released June 26, 2018

Jacky Rosen

Support

"Wrong Experience" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 20, 2018

"Spineless Lie" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 17, 2018

"We Need That" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 17, 2018

"Lo que pasa en Nevada" - Rosen campaign ad, released October 1, 2018

"Both Parties" - Rosen campaign ad, released September 26, 2018

"Everybody" - Rosen campaign ad, released August 31, 2018

"Momento" - Rosen campaign ad, released July 6, 2018

"All" - Rosen campaign ad, released June 29, 2018

"Orgullo" - Rosen campaign ad, released June 13, 2018

"One Problem" - Rosen campaign ad, released April 25, 2018

"Remember" - Rosen campaign ad, released April 16, 2018

Oppose

"Democrat Jacky Rosen Had ZERO Bills Passed Before Announcing Run For Promotion" - Heller campaign ad, released October 31, 2018

"Vote Against 'Another Hillary Clinton'!" - Heller campaign ad, released October 31, 2018

"Democrat Jacky Rosen Raises More from California than Nevada!" - Heller campaign ad, released October 31, 2018

"Confuse" - Senate Leadership Fund campaign ad, released October 23, 2018

"Sneak Back" - Senate Leadership Fund campaign ad, released October 16, 2018

"Promotion" - Heller campaign ad, released October 10, 2018

"Check" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released October 9, 2018

"Wacky Jacky Rosen" - National Republican Senatorial Committee ad, released October 2, 2018

"License Plate" - National Republican Senatorial Committee ad, released October 2, 2018

"Who" - Heller campaign ad, released September 21, 2018

"Buy" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released September 18, 2018

"Skipped" - Heller ad, released September 12, 2018

"Key" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released September 11, 2018

"Suffering" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released September 11, 2018

"Record" - Heller ad, released September 4, 2018

"Zero" - Heller ad, released August 28, 2018

"Name" - Senate Leadership Fund ad, released August 23, 2018

"Growing" - One Nation ad, released August 23, 2018

"Posing for Pictures" - NRSC ad, released August 22, 2018

"Jobs" - Heller ad, released August 17, 2018

"Inflated" - NRSC ad, released August 6, 2018

"Built A Business?" - Heller campaign ad, released July 12, 2018

Noteworthy events

Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote

See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2018: An overview

On October 6, 2018, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Fifty Senators voted to confirm Kavanaugh's nomination, 48 voted against, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted present. A simple majority was required to confirm Kavanaugh.

Sen. Heller voted to confirm Kavanaugh on October 6, 2018. He said in a statement that Kavanaugh's "legal career combined with his educational credentials make him an exceptionally qualified nominee." He also said that a hearing held the week prior to the confirmation vote and an FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations had not yielded corroborating evidence.

Rep. Rosen opposed Kavanaugh's confirmation. On October 2, she signed onto a letter from 90 U.S. representatives to the U.S. Senate saying that Kavanaugh had a "well-documented record restricting reproductive health" and that "a vote for Judge Kavanaugh is a vote against women’s autonomy and reproductive health." She also said that if Heller voted for the confirmation, he would not be "listening to the voices in Nevada, to Nevada women, to their families who love women, who may have been victims of sexual assault.”

Debates and forums

• October 19, 2018: Heller and Rosen participated in a debate. This was the only debate scheduled in the race. View a video of the event here.

Campaign themes

Dean Heller

The following were found on Heller's campaign website.

“	Tax Reform Americans need a robust economic plan that not only reforms the federal tax code, but also reins in government spending, supports all-of-the-above energy policies, and stops federal overregulation. As one of the Senators that helped write the tax reform bill, I made sure we repealed the Individual Mandate, doubled the Child Tax Credit (to $2,000), and passed other measures that benefit small businesses and entrepreneurs. The IRS should have never been involved in healthcare and the government should never require citizens to pay for something they can’t afford. As you know, our bill is already providing tax cuts to Nevada’s middle-class families, boosting job creation, and spurring economic growth. But we’re not done yet. That’s why I’m fighting for additional job-creating legislation that will provide relief to small businesses and families, and keep our economy growing. My goal has always been to make sure that Americans keep more of their hard-earned money. Lower tax rates will allow businesses to hire, invest, and expand — creating jobs in our communities and boosting growth around our state and across the country. The Obama-era mindset of increasing taxes and over regulating small businesses stifled job growth in Nevada and impeded our nation’s ability to provide businesses and workers the tools they need to compete in a global marketplace. But that era is over. Now, we’re heading in a direction that is better for Nevadans and Americans across the nation, and although we’ve made significant progress, there is still more work to do. Veterans Over 300,000 of our nation’s veterans call Nevada home. These are our bravest heroes who have faithfully served our country and chose to put everything on the line to defend America’s freedom. I believe these men and women deserve our gratitude, and in the Senate, I have worked tirelessly on their behalf. As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the Co-Chair of the Senate VA Backlog Working Group, I have made it a priority to eliminate the VA disability claims in Nevada. In Nevada’s VA Regional Office alone, we have seen a reduction of the backlog of claims from 4,328 in 2013 to 1,235 today. That’s over 3,000 cases and a 40% decrease. When I started my work, the average days to complete a VA claim in Nevada took over a year, 433 days to be exact, but today it’s 124 days. The remaining backlog in Nevada is still unacceptable, which is why I am proud the Senate passed my comprehensive legislation in 2016 to overhaul the claims process so it works better for veterans. I am also working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to begin addressing the growing number of appeals for veterans who believe the VA’s decision on their claim is wrong. In addition to reducing the VA claims backlog, I’ve focused on achieving accountability at the VA. If performance isn’t up to par, I support granting the VA Secretary the ability to fire VA officials responsible for poor performance. These officials should be held accountable for failing to meet the important responsibility of serving our nation’s heroes. Our veterans shouldn’t have to suffer poor or untimely care due to their inefficiencies. I’ve advocated for better care for our nation’s veterans. Whether you’re talking about modernizing VA care by offering more services for women veterans at VA medical facilities or offering tele-health services for rural veterans, I’ve fought to ensure America’s veterans are not forgotten. That’s why in 2016, I was proud to see years of labor come to fruition with the grand opening of the VA’s Pahrump Community Based Outpatient Clinic. Veterans in Nye County finally have a VA clinic that can meet the demands of its fast-growing veteran population. This was a concrete deliverable I was proud to be part of and one that my colleagues on the Senate Veterans’ Committee knew was a priority for me. Veterans in southern Nevada benefit directly from this clinic and deserve it. I’m also proud to have successfully led the effort in Congress to authorize an important construction project at the VA medical facility in Reno to ensure the safety of veterans and VA employees at this facility, as well as to improve the quality and availability of care for veterans in Reno. Nevada’s veterans face many struggles ranging from high unemployment, a struggling housing market, and too often, homelessness. Congress has an obligation to partner with both the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure veterans have the resources they need to succeed. As your voice in Washington, I hope every veteran in Nevada knows I am fighting every single day to repay the debt our nation owes your for your sacrifice and courage to defend freedom. Border Security and Immigration While Nevada does not border another nation, we are without a doubt a border state. Immigration affects our economy and our people. For years, I have worked to reform our nation’s broken immigration system in a way that upholds our nation’s proud history of immigration while securing our borders first. It’s up to Congress to come up with solutions to the problems that face this broken system today. In 2013, I supported an immigration bill that would have made significant reforms to our system while ensuring that those who want to participate in the American Dream can do so. I also worked tirelessly to ensure that Nevada has a seat at the table in any type of federally created border commission. As I have long said though any type of reform must include securing our borders first. This is why in the past I have helped author legislation that would double the amount of Customs and Border Patrol Officers at the border as well as double the amount of fencing. Last Congress I also cosponsored the Secure Our Border First Act. While we are a nation of immigrants we are also a nation of laws. Tourism Nearly 53 million visitors came to Nevada in 2016 alone, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. Travelers spend nearly 60 billion in Nevada annually, accounting for about 13 percent of the state’s annual GDP. The impact tourism has on Nevada cannot be underestimated; it is a lifeline for our economy. My time in the Senate is focused on promoting tourism, improving travel efficiency, and facilitating growth opportunities. As a cochair of the Senate Caucus on Tourism, I am one of the leading voices in the Congress for policies that improve our nation’s tourism opportunities. I have worked in a bipartisan manner to advance some of the most important travel legislation enacted into law over the past six years, such as investments in infrastructure and reforms to the TSA designed to improve efficiency and safety for travelers. Second Amendment Our Founders envisioned a government where the people have a right to defend themselves, their home, and their family. As someone who understands the importance of upholding and protecting Nevadans’ constitutional rights, I am an unwavering advocate for our Second Amendment. I know these are Nevada’s values. My record in Washington, D.C., has been crystal clear: I support Nevadans’ ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Earlier this year, I voted to end a last-minute Obama Administration gun grab hidden in the Social Security Administration’s policies. This provision unfairly targeted seniors, denying them their Second Amendment rights without due process. Prior to that, I have consistently opposed efforts by the extreme left in Congress to limit law-abiding Americans’ right to bear arms including comprehensive gun control. As a gun owner and sportsman, Nevada can always count on me to protect our values. Health Care From Pioche to Battle Mountain families have expressed unbearable struggles with the massive increases in premiums and a total loss of options for healthcare and it has to be remedied to give the relief Nevadans deserve and need to thrive. Under Obamacare, rates have gone up and harsh regulations and overbearing penalties were introduced that hurt Nevada families and crushed small businesses. We need a free-market free option that works for Nevada’s most vulnerable. Obamacare clearly isn’t the answer — but doing nothing isn’t the answer either. I have been working with colleagues on commonsense solutions that would improve our health care system by guaranteeing that Americans with preexisting conditions will have health care coverage, that gives more power back to states, and more — all regardless of how our judicial system rules on the future of Obamacare. As I mentioned before, health care itself isn’t the only issue with Obamacare. Regulations and overbearing penalties were introduced that hurt Nevada families and small businesses. I have fought every step of the way to stop the Health Care Tax (or Cadillac Tax), one that would be particularly devastating in Nevada for the 1.3 million workers who have employer-sponsored health insurance plans including union workers, public employees, service industry workers, and small business owners and retirees. Across America, 54% of employers and almost 151 million workers who currently enjoy employer sponsored health care benefits would see their benefits cut or their health costs go up. I fought against the Health Care Tax and succeeded in stopping it, not just once but twice. First from going into effect in 2018, and then successfully prevented its implementation again in 2020. But the fight isn’t over. Democrats want to keep this onerous tax, and we need to keep standing up against them to prevent this tax from becoming a harsh reality for Nevadans and for Americans across the nation. My opponent, Jacky Rosen, voted not once, but TWICE against stopping the 40% tax on working class Nevadans’ health insurance plans and overall has a ZERO record on health care. Israel My support for Israel is unwavering and constant. While America’s relationship with Israel became strained under the previous Administration, my undivided loyalty to one of our most important allies grew stronger. That’s why I introduced legislation to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel’s undivided capital. I questioned the previous Administration on its inability to hold Iran, a significant threat to Israel in the region, accountable for its nefarious activities, including sponsoring terrorism against Israel. I remain concerned about Israel’s safety and security with Iran’s latest aggression to test a ballistic missile and have introduced legislation to impose sanctions against Iran for these ballistic missile tests. In addition, I believe the Iran Nuclear Deal negotiated by the previous Administration has only emboldened this state sponsor of terrorism, and I have opposed this terrible agreement because it does nothing to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. As one of our top allies and promoters of democracy in the Middle East, Israel must have no doubt America will be there to defend it against all foes. Federal Spending & Deficit For years, our national debt has continued to grow because Washington refused to get serious about spending and continues to be a pain free zone. As a result, Americans are working harder and harder to get ahead but are falling behind. I have long opposed excessive spending by our federal government from the Wall Street Bailout to former President Obama’s stimulus plan. I believe it is essential that we rein in spending, address these yearly deficits, and get the national debt under control. Under the Obama Administration, our national debt exploded by $9 trillion dollars. That’s unacceptable. I am not just talking about solving the problem, I am actively pushing a solution. One of the fundamental responsibilities of Congress is to budget and pay its spending bills on time. Year after year under this past Administration Congress just kicked the spending can down the road. Just as Nevadans have to pay their bills on time so too should Congress. This is why I introduced my No Budget, No Pay Act, which would eliminate pay for Members of Congress unless they passed a budget and its spending bills on time each year. My legislation is simple. If you don’t do your job you don’t get paid. I have also pushed for a Balanced Budget Amendment that would ultimately force Washington to live within its means – something Nevada’s households do every single day.	”
—Dean Heller's 2018 campaign website

Jacky Rosen

The following were found on Rosen's campaign website.

“	Education Jacky knows we need better pay for our teachers and better funding to help improve Nevada’s struggling public schools. She supports efforts to rebuild crumbling or outdated public schools that serve low income families. A former computer programmer and software developer, Jacky has made promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education a top priority. Her bipartisan education bills to help encourage young girls to pursue computer science and prioritize the learning and teaching of STEM subjects in early childhood passed the House unanimously. As the first in her family to graduate from college, Jacky believes in the power and opportunities education affords. She made ends meet in college by taking out student loans and working as a waitress. Today, students at Nevada universities graduate with an average of $24,000 in student loan debt; this keeps higher education out of reach for far too many. Jacky supports making higher education more affordable, whether it’s through advanced skills-training, apprenticeship programs, community college, or a four-year college degree. In the Senate, she’ll work to lower interest rates on student debt and ensure that young people have access to a quality education that prepares them for jobs in a 21st century economy. Energy & the Environment Nevada is home to stunning natural beauty. If we want to maintain Nevada’s natural heritage, Jacky believes we need to ensure our public lands are protected and remain accessible for generations to come. That’s why she’s fighting to protect our incredible National Monuments at Gold Butte and Basin and Range. The Trump Administration’s efforts to relicense the failed Yucca Mountain project represent a dire threat to our safety and our environment. In the Senate, Jacky will continue her work to ensure Nevada does not become a dumping ground for the rest of the nation’s nuclear waste. Jacky is committed to Nevada’s leadership on solar and other forms of renewable energy. As the former president of Nevada’s largest synagogue, Jacky led a team to build one of the largest solar projects by a nonprofit in the city of Henderson, cutting energy costs by up to 70 percent. That’s why she opposes the Trump Administration’s misguided efforts to drag us backwards and dismantle the Clean Power Plan. As the threat of climate change looms, she will continue advocating for action that reduces carbon pollution, defends our clean air and water, and promotes clean energy jobs. Because of her strong record supporting responsible environmental policies, Jacky has earned a 97% score from the League of Conservation Voters. Government Jacky is leading by example to reform how Washington works. Rosen ran her office so efficiently in 2017 that she returned a quarter-million dollars in unspent taxpayer money. Now she wants to stop Members of Congress from using your tax dollars for first-class flights, collecting a federal pension if they’re convicted of crimes like bribery or perjury, and paying out taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements. Jacky has been leading efforts to ban pork-barrel earmark spending and prevent Members of Congress from using taxpayer money to produce campaign-style, self-promotional mass mailings. Even if it means bucking her party, Jacky will always put Nevada taxpayers first. Reforming how Washington works also means fixing our broken campaign finance system. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision changed the landscape of our democracy, allowing billionaires and corporate special interests to pump unlimited amounts of money into our elections. Jacky supports a constitutional amendment to overturn this disastrous decision and return accountability to regular Nevadans. Health Care Jacky believes health care is a right, not a privilege, and she will always put Nevada’s families ahead of the politicians and special interests in Washington that want to cut our health care. Jacky will fight any effort to cut Medicare, and she will never support the reckless Republican health care plans that end protections for people with pre-existing conditions and allow insurance companies to charge older Americans thousands of dollars more. In Congress, Jacky introduced a resolution to defend the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s coverage protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions in federal court. Jacky knows our health care system has real problems that we need to work together to fix. That’s why she is working to develop bipartisan solutions to improve health care access and bring down costs by stabilizing the marketplaces, lowering premiums, and addressing Nevada’s doctor shortages. She signed on to and helped pass bipartisan legislation in the House to repeal the medical device tax. Jacky has also introduced forward-thinking legislation to cap the rising costs of life-saving prescription drugs and limit monthly out-of-pocket costs for individuals and families. Immigration Nevada’s immigrant families are part of the fabric of our communities. Jacky believes strongly in the need for comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders, grows Nevada’s economy, and provides an earned path to citizenship. With families worried about being ripped apart, Jacky won’t stop fighting to find a solution that provides relief for the thousands of Dreamers and TPS recipients who call Nevada home. They are Americans in every way except for a piece of paper, and Jacky is working across the aisle to protect them and fix our broken immigration system. That’s why Jacky helped introduce bipartisan legislation - the United and Securing America (USA) Act - that provides a path to citizenship for Dreamers combined with smart, commonsense efforts to secure our borders. Jobs & the Economy No state was hit harder by the Great Recession than Nevada, from the housing crisis to skyrocketing unemployment. As our state finds its footing again and continues to grow, Jacky knows how important it is to diversify Nevada’s economy and build a more durable system that protects workers. Jacky knows that supporting Nevada’s business community is essential to our long-term future. Because of her pro-business voting record in 2017, Jacky was honored with the Spirit of Enterprise award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Jacky is leading efforts to incentivize research and development hiring at tech startups that are driving innovation, and she supports fiscally responsible tax cuts for middle class families. With Nevada rapidly becoming a national leader in clean energy, Jacky is working to protect and grow Nevada’s solar industry which has created thousands of good-paying jobs across the state. She’s also fighting to protect Nevada’s legal marijuana businesses that are creating new jobs and millions in new tax revenue for the state budget. Jacky knows we should be investing more in vocational training and apprenticeship programs that will prepare Nevadans for high-tech and specialized jobs that require advanced skills. She also believes in expanding economic security for Nevada’s hardworking families by raising the minimum wage to a livable wage of $15 an hour and ensuring access to paid family and medical leave. Safety & Security Jacky believes smart and tough foreign policy is key to our national security. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Jacky has taken steps to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity and get tougher on our adversaries like Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Jacky introduced and worked successfully to pass a bipartisan increase in investment for missile defense systems protecting our allies in Israel and to help secure the electric grid to ensure readiness at our key military installations. Ensuring our communities are safe is critically important to Jacky. After October 1, Jacky saw firsthand the horrific aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. The epidemic of gun violence in our country has become a public safety issue - it is not acceptable and it is not inevitable. In the Senate, Jacky will continue fighting for common-sense gun safety measures like expanding background checks, banning the sale of military-style assault weapons, prohibiting high-capacity magazines, and fully banning bump stocks. She will also build on her work in the House to ensure that Nevada’s communities and first responders get their fair share of federal homeland security funding so that we can keep our residents safe. Seniors Jacky stepped away from her career to take care of her aging parents and in-laws, giving her an intimate perspective on the challenges facing older Americans. Jacky will fight back against efforts to privatize or weaken Social Security, and she will oppose efforts to cut Medicare benefits or convert the program into a privatized voucher system. Jacky is committed to defending Social Security and Medicare, and she will work to find solutions that guarantee we keep our promises to our seniors. Jacky will never support the GOP’s reckless health care proposals that will allow insurance companies to charge older Americans thousands more. Veterans Jacky Rosen’s father was a World War II veteran, and she deeply respects the sacrifices our veterans have made to protect our country. With more than 200,000 veterans calling Nevada home, Jacky believes we need to do everything we can to take care of our veterans and military families. Jacky has stood up for veterans in Congress, and her office has brought more than $700,000 back to her district by helping veterans obtain their VA benefits. She has fought to improve veteran health care programs, raise the pay of servicemembers, combat veteran homelessness, and improve veterans’ access to child care. She helped introduce the Forever GI bill to expand college assistance for veterans and allow new servicemembers to use their education benefits later in life. Jacky worked across the aisle this year to introduce bipartisan pieces of legislation that will expand a tax credit to incentivize businesses to hire student veterans and provide specialized training to help transitioning servicemembers find jobs in the solar industry. In the Senate, Jacky will continue working with both parties to cut red tape and increase accountability at the VA to ensure we honor and fulfill our promises to Nevada’s veterans. Women's Issues Jacky has been a tireless advocate for women’s reproductive rights, which is why organizations like NARAL Pro-Choice America, EMILY’s List, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund have proudly endorsed her campaign. She is committed to protecting women’s health care and rights because she knows that these personal decisions are between a woman and her doctor—there’s no room for career politicians in Washington to get involved. Thousands of Nevada women rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for preventive services like birth control and cancer screenings, and Jacky opposes partisan efforts to defund the organization. Nevada women still make 81 cents to every dollar a man makes on average. Equal pay for equal work is essential, and Jacky knows that ensuring women have the tools to fight for paycheck fairness will make our families and our country stronger.	”
—Jacky Rosen's 2018 campaign themes

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Dean Heller

Jacky Rosen

Other 2018 statewide elections

See also: States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2018

This race took place in one of twenty-two states that held elections for both governor and U.S. Senate in 2018.

A table of where these elections occurred, the names of incumbents prior to the 2018 elections, and links to our coverage of these races can be viewed by clicking "[show]" on the banner below:

States holding both Gubernatorial and Senate elections in 2018
State	Incumbent Governor	Open Seat?	Incumbent Senator	Open Seat?
Arizona	Doug Ducey	No	Jeff Flake	Yes
California	Jerry Brown	Yes	Dianne Feinstein	No
Connecticut	Dan Malloy	Yes	Chris Murphy	No
Florida	Rick Scott	Yes	Bill Nelson	No
Hawaii	David Ige	No	Mazie Hirono	No
Maine	Paul LePage	Yes	Angus King	No
Maryland	Larry Hogan	No	Ben Cardin	No
Massachusetts	Charlie Baker	No	Elizabeth Warren	No
Michigan	Rick Snyder	Yes	Debbie Stabenow	No
Minnesota	Mark Dayton	Yes	Amy Klobuchar	No
Nebraska	Pete Ricketts	No	Deb Fischer	No
Nevada	Brian Sandoval	Yes	Dean Heller	No
New Mexico	Susana Martinez	Yes	Martin Heinrich	No
New York	Andrew Cuomo	No	Kirsten Gillibrand	No
Ohio	John Kasich	Yes	Sherrod Brown	No
Pennsylvania	Tom Wolf	No	Bob Casey, Jr.	No
Rhode Island	Gina Raimondo	No	Sheldon Whitehouse	No
Tennessee	Bill Haslam	Yes	Bob Corker	Yes
Texas	Greg Abbott	No	Ted Cruz	No
Vermont	Phil Scott	No	Bernie Sanders	No
Wisconsin	Scott Walker	No	Tammy Baldwin	No
Wyoming	Matt Mead	Yes	John Barrasso	No

Election history

2016

U.S. Senate, Nevada General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Catherine Cortez Masto	47.1%	521,994
	Republican	Joe Heck	44.7%	495,079
	N/A	None of these candidates	3.8%	42,257
	Independent American	Tom Jones	1.5%	17,128
	Independent	Thomas Sawyer	1.3%	14,208
	Independent	Tony Gumina	1%	10,740
	Independent	Jarrod Williams	0.6%	6,888
Total Votes				1,108,294
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Nevada, 2012

On November 6, 2012, incumbent Dean Heller (R) won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Shelley Berkley (D) and David Lory VanDerBeek (Independent American Party) in the general election.

U.S. Senate, Nevada, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Shelley Berkley	44.7%	446,080
	Republican	Dean Heller Incumbent	45.9%	457,656
	Independent American Party of Nevada	David Lory VanderBeek	4.9%	48,792
	N/A	None of these candidates	4.5%	45,277
Total Votes				997,805
Source: Nevada Secretary of State "U.S. Senate Results"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Reid won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Sharron Angle (R), None of the Above, Scott Ashjian (Tea Party), Timothy Fasano (Independent American), and independent candidates Michael L. Haines, Jesse Holland, Jeffery C. Reeves, and Wil Stand.

U.S. Senate, Nevada General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Harry Reid Incumbent	50.3%	362,785
	Republican	Sharron Angle	44.5%	321,361
	None of the Above	-	2.2%	16,174
	Tea Party	Scott Ashjian	0.8%	5,811
	Independent	Michael L. Haines	0.6%	4,261
	Independent American	Timothy Fasano	0.4%	3,185
	Independent	Jesse Holland	0.4%	3,175
	Independent	Jeffery C. Reeves	0.3%	2,510
	Independent	Wil Stand	0.3%	2,119
Total Votes				721,381

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to U.S. Senate elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 U.S. Senate waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

U.S. Senate wave elections
Year	President	Party	Election type	Senate seats change	Senate majority
1932	Hoover	R	Presidential	-13	D (flipped)
1958	Eisenhower	R	Second midterm	-12	D
1946	Truman	D	First midterm	-10	R (flipped)
1980	Carter	D	Presidential	-9	R (flipped)
2014	Obama	D	Second midterm	-9	R (flipped)
1942	Roosevelt	D	Third midterm	-8	D
2008	George W. Bush	D	Presidential	-8	D
1926	Coolidge	R	First midterm	-7	R
1930	Hoover	R	First midterm	-7	R
1986	Reagan	R	Second midterm	-7	D (flipped)

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Nevada heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, a Democrat and a Republican each held one U.S. Senate seat in Nevada.
• Democrats held three of four U.S. House seats in Nevada, and a Republican held one.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Republicans held six of 13 state executive positions, and the remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Nevada was Republican Brian Sandoval. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Nevada State Legislature. They had a 27-14 majority in the state Assembly and a 10-8 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Nevada was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Brian Sandoval (R) served as governor, while Democrats controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Nevada elections, 2018

Nevada held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• 1 U.S. Senate seat
• 4 U.S. House seats
• Governor
• Lieutenant governor
• 5 lower state executive positions
• 11 of 21 state Senate seats
• All 42 state Assembly seats
• 3 state supreme court seats
• Municipal elections in Clark County, Washoe County, Las Vegas, and Reno

Demographics

Demographic data for Nevada
	Nevada	U.S.
Total population:	2,883,758	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	109,781	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	69%	73.6%
Black/African American:	8.4%	12.6%
Asian:	7.7%	5.1%
Native American:	1.1%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.6%	0.2%
Two or more:	4.4%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	27.5%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	85.1%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	23%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$51,847	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	17.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Nevada. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Nevada's three largest cities were Las Vegas (pop. est. 640,000), Henderson (pop. est. 300,000), and Reno (pop. est. 250,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Nevada from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Nevada Secretary of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Nevada every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Nevada 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	47.9%	Donald Trump	45.5%	2.4%
2012	Barack Obama	52.4%	Mitt Romney	45.7%	6.7%
2008	Barack Obama	55.1%	John McCain	42.7%	12.4%
2004	George W. Bush	50.5%	John Kerry	47.9%	2.6%
2000	George W. Bush	49.5%	Al Gore	45.9%	3.6%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Nevada from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Nevada 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Catherine Cortez Masto	47.1%	Joe Heck	44.7%	2.4%
2012	Dean Heller	45.9%	Shelley Berkley	44.7%	1.2%
2010	Harry Reid	50.3%	Sharron Angle	44.6%	5.7%
2006	John Ensign	55.4%	Jack Carter	41.0%	14.4%
2004	Harry Reid	61.1%	Richard Ziser	35.1%	26.0%
2000	John Ensign	55.0%	Ed Bernstein	39.7%	15.3%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Nevada.

Election results (Governor), Nevada 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Brian Sandoval	70.6%	Bob Goodman	23.9%	46.7%
2010	Brian Sandoval	53.4%	Rory Reid	41.6%	11.8%
2006	Jim Gibbons	47.9%	Dina Titus	43.9%	4.0%
2002	Kenny Guinn	68.1%	Joe Neal	22.0%	46.1%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Nevada in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Nevada 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	1	25.0%	3	75.0%	D+2
2014	3	75.0%	1	25.0%	R+2
2012	2	50.0%	2	50.0%	Even
2010	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2008	1	33.3%	2	66.7%	D+1
2006	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2004	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2002	2	66.7%	1	33.3%	R+1
2000	1	50.0%	1	50.0%	Even

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Nevada Party Control: 1992-2025
Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R
Senate	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	S	S	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada, 2018
• United States Senate elections, 2018
• Dean Heller
• United States Senate election in Nevada (June 12, 2018 Democratic primary)
• United States Senate election in Nevada (June 12, 2018 Republican primary)

Footnotes

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Nevada's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Catherine Masto (D)

Jacky Rosen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Dina Titus (D)

District 2

Mark Amodei (R)

District 3

Susie Lee (D)

District 4

Steven Horsford (D)

Democratic Party (5)

Republican Party (1)