Steven Horsford
| Steven Horsford | ||
 | ||
| U.S. House, Nevada, District 4 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| January 3, 2013-present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 3, 2015 | ||
| Years in position | 0 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Predecessor | N/A | |
| Leadership | ||
| Majority Floor Leader, Nevada State Senate | ||
| 2009 - 2013 | ||
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $174,000/year | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | November 6, 2012 | |
| Next election | November 4, 2014 | |
| Campaign $ | $1,718,991 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Prior offices | ||
| Nevada State Senate, Clark 4 | ||
| 1997-2013 | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | University of Nevada, Reno, 1997 | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 04/29/1973 | |
| Place of birth | Las Vegas, NV | |
| Profession | Executive Director | |
| Net worth | $192,510 | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
Contents |
He previously served in the Nevada State Senate, representing the Clark 4 District from 2004-2013. He was Senate Majority Floor Leader.
Biography
Horsford was born in Las Vegas. He then received his Bachelor's in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1997. Following his graduation, he struggled and defaulted on loans, and failed to appear in court. He attributed much of this to a car accident and has since settled all of his debts.[2]
Career
He joined the Nevada State Senate in 2004 and has served in that position until 2012. Horsford has worked at Culinary Training Academy of Las Vegas, where he is currently the Executive Director, since 2001.[2]
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2013-2014
Horsford serves on the following committees:[3]
- United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs
- Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements
- United States House Committee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
- United States House Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation
Nevada Senate
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Horsford served on these committees:
- Finance, Chair
- Legislative Operations and Elections
- Revenue Committee, Vice Chair
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Horsford served on these committees:
Controversies
"Pay to play" donations
In August 2010, Horsford sent an email to potential contributors to Democratic candidates in 2010, offering access to himself and Senate leadership in exchange for cash donations. State Republican Party Chairman Mark Amodei criticized the email that appeared to imply regular legislators would not be allowed meetings with legislators unless they "payed to play." According to the email:
- “Organizations or individuals that contribute $25,000 or more will receive a private dinner with the Senate majority leader and chairs of all the standing committees,” the email solicitation says. “The dinner will permit up to 10 invited guests to accompany the Victory Leadership Circle Member.
Elections
2012
Horsford ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Nevada's 4th District. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 12, 2012.[4] Dan Schwartz, Kenneth Wegner, Barbara Cegavske, and Danny Tarkanian faced one another in the June 12, 2012 Republican primary.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that in early October, the FDIC began seizing property in Nevada belonging to the Tarkanian family. The land was collateral for a real estate investment in California that fell through during the economic crisis. Since the land had greater value in 2007 than it does now, the Tarkanians owe some 17 million dollars on the deal. Candidate Danny Tarkanian insists that the family will settle this matter in court, and that they will not need to file bankruptcy.[5]
The Tarkanian debt has become an issue in Steven Horsford's campaign against Danny Tarkanian in the new 4th congressional district. The Sun reports that after the debt development,Tarkanian attacked Horsford's personal financial record, claiming that he repeatedly failed to pay his bills as a young man. Tarkanian insisted that his family's struggles are a direct result of the huge financial downturn of 2008.[6]
| U.S. House, Nevada, District 4 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Steven Horsford |
50.1% | 120,501 | |
| Republican | Danny Tarkanian | 42.1% | 101,261 | |
| Libertarian | Joseph P. Silvestri | 3.9% | 9,341 | |
| Independent American Party of Nevada | Floyd Fitzgibbons | 3.9% | 9,389 | |
| Total Votes | 240,492 | |||
| Source: Nevada Secretary of State "U.S. House of Representatives Results" | ||||
Redistricting process
Horsford announced in October 2011 that he would not recuse himself from the map-drawing process should the legislature be called into special session. He could have his campaign impacted by the ultimate makeup of the districts.[7]
2008
On November 4, 2008, Horsford won re-election to the Clark 4 Senatorial District Seat in the Nevada State Senate, defeating opponents Sharon Gobel and Stan Vaughan.[8]
| Nevada State Senate, Clark 4 District (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Steven Horsford (D)
|
25,943 | 73.81% | ||
| Sharon Gobel | 7,686 | 21.87% | ||
| Stan Vaughan | 1,521 | 4.33% | ||
2004
On November 2, 2004, Horsford won election to the Clark 4 Senatorial District Seat in the Nevada State Senate, defeating Florence Lucier.[9]
| Nevada State Senate, Clark 4 District (2004) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Steven Horsford (D)
|
22,060 | 71.82% | ||
| Florence Lucier | 8,540 | 27.80% | ||
Polls
2012
| Danny Tarkanian vs. Steven Horsford | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response | SurveyUSA (September 20, 2012) | Average | ||||||||||||
| Danny Tarkanian | 45% | 45% | ||||||||||||
| Steven Horsford | 42% | 42% | ||||||||||||
| Other | 6% | 6% | ||||||||||||
| Undecided | 8% | 8% | ||||||||||||
| Number polled | 646 | 646 | ||||||||||||
| Margin of error | +/-3.9 | 3.9% | ||||||||||||
| 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 editor@ballotpedia.org | ||||||||||||||
Campaign donors
Comprehensive donor information for Horsford is available dating back to 2012. Based on available campaign finance records, Horsford raised a total of $1,718,991 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 18, 2013.[10]
| Steven Horsford's Campaign Contribution History | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2012 | US House (Nevada, District 4) |  |
$1,718,991 | |
| Grand Total Raised | $1,718,991 | |||
2012
Horsford won election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Horsford's campaign committee raised a total of $1,718,991 and spent $1,705,210.[11]
| U.S. House of Representatives, Nevada's 4th Congressional District, 2012 - Steven Horsford Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $1,718,991 |
| Total Spent | $1,705,210 |
| Total Raised by Election Runner-up | $1,261,004 |
| Total Spent by Election Runner-up | $1,234,212 |
| Top contributors to Steven Horsford's campaign committee | |
| MGM Resorts International | $53,000 |
| Nevada Heart & Vascular Center | $23,500 |
| Boyd Gaming | $14,500 |
| University of Nevada | $14,100 |
| Arcata Assoc | $12,500 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $122,074 |
| Leadership PACs | $105,634 |
| Casinos/Gambling | $86,217 |
| Public Sector Unions | $81,000 |
| Health Professionals | $79,400 |
2008
In 2008, Horsford collected $417,250 in donations.[12]
His five largest contributors in 2008 were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nevada State Education Association | $12,000 |
| Nevada Democratic Party | $11,877 |
| Clark County Education Association | $10,000 |
| Lamar Advertising | $10,000 |
| Nevada Heart and Vascular Center LLP | $10,000 |
Analysis
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, Horsford missed 1 of 92 roll call votes from January 2013 to April 2013. This amounts to 1.1%, which is better than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[13]
Net Worth
2011
Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Horsford net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $35,021 to $350,000. That averages to $192,510, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic House members in 2011 of $5,107,874.[14]
Scorecards
Nevada Policy Research Institute
The Nevada Policy Research Institute, a Nevada-based conservative-libertarian think tank, releases a "Legislative Report Card" evaluating members of the Nevada State Legislature on "each lawmaker's voting record on legislation impacting the degree of economic freedom and education reform." Bills determined by the Institute to be of greater significance are weighted accordingly. According to the Institute, "a legislator with a score above 50 is considered to be an ally of economic liberty".[15]
2011
Horsford received a score of 35.55% in the 2011 report card, ranking 27th out of all 63 Nevada State Legislature members.[15]
Personal
Horsford and his wife, Sonya, have three children.
Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term "Steven + Horsford + Nevada + Senate"
Steven Horsford News Feed
- Only one anti-Internet tax champ in Carson City - Elko Daily Free Press - Elko Daily Free Press
- Horsford stands out in fundraising race among Nevada House lawmakers - Las Vegas Sun
- Heller, Reid, Heck, Titus, Horsford seek to reduce Nevada's VA claim backlog - FoxReno.com
- US Senate hearing on Yerington land bill 'almost perfect' for Nevada Copper chief - Reno Gazette Journal (blog)
- The Associated Press - Las Vegas Sun
- Day before critical US Senate hearing, Reid throws curve ball at Nevada Copper - Reno Gazette Journal (blog)
- Heller Says VA Will Expedite Claims - Mesquite Citizen Journal
- Hearing positive on Lyon land bill: Harry Reid says copper mine must employ ... - Reno Gazette Journal
- Nevada Copper Updates Lyon County Bill Status - Stockhouse - Stockhouse
- Nevada Copper Updates Lyon County Bill Status - Marketwire - Marketwire (press release)
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External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial:
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
References
- ↑ Politico "2012 House Race Results"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Journal "Nevada, 4th House District: Steven Horsford (D)," November 7, 2012
- ↑ CQ.com, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress"
- ↑ Pahrump Valley Times "Schwartz, Wegner join four-way GOP race for Congress" Accessed Feburary 4, 2012
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun "FDIC sets out to seize Tarkanian family’s Nevada assets" Accessed October 18, 2012
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun "Horsford-Tarkanian bout for Congress dominated by debt issues " Accessed October 18, 2012
- ↑ Nevada Appeal "Horsford won't recuse himself from redistricting," October 14, 2011
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State - 2008 General Election Results
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State - 2004 General Election Results
- ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Steven Horsford," Accessed April 18, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets "Steven Horsford 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 26, 2013
- ↑ 2008 contributions to Steven Horsford
- ↑ GovTrack, "Horsford," Accessed April 10, 2013
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org "Steven Horsford (D-Nev), 2011," accessed February 13, 2013
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Nevada Policy Research Institute, "The 2011 Nevada Legislative Session Review & Report Card"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by NA |
United States House of Representatives - Nevada District 4 2013–present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by ' |
Nevada Senate, Clark 4 District 2004–present |
Succeeded by NA |
| |||||||||||||
- Former member, Nevada State Senate
- State senators first elected in 2004
- Nevada
- Democratic Party
- 113th Congress
- 2012 challenger
- U.S. House candidate, 2012
- 2012 primary (winner)
- 2012 general election (winner)
- State Senate incumbent retired, 2012
- State Senate running for U.S. House, 2012
- U.S. House, Nevada
- Current member, U.S. House
