Andy Matthews

Andy Matthews

Republican Party

Nevada Controller

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Catherine Byrne

Prior offices

Nevada State Assembly District 37

Successor: Shea Backus

Predecessor: Shea Backus

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Compensation

Base salary

$116,994

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Boston University, 2000

Personal

Birthplace

New Bedford, Mass.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Executive

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Andy Matthews (Republican Party) is the Nevada Controller. He assumed office on January 2, 2023. His current term ends on January 4, 2027.

Matthews (Republican Party) ran for election for Nevada Controller. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Matthews was a Nevada Assemblyman from 2021 through 2022. In 2021 he was named Policy Champion of the Year by the Nevada chapter of Americans for Prosperity. In 2016 he was a Republican Party candidate for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, and finished fourth in the Republican primary.

As president of the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI), Matthews helped lead the nonprofit’s successful opposition to the Nevada Margin Tax for Public Schools Initiative, Question 3 (2014).

Biography

In addition to his career as a political candidate and state lawmaker, Matthews worked as a staffer for political campaigns, first in New Jersey in 2005 and then in Nevada after 2006. After his unsuccessful 2016 congressional campaign, he became the executive director of the Morning in Nevada PAC, a political action committee affiliated with Adam Laxalt, the former Attorney General of Nevada.

Before his political work, he was a sports writer and editor for Fox Sports and MLB.com. From 2007 through 2015 he worked for the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI), a free-market nonprofit, and was the NPRI president from 2011 through 2015.

Matthews was born in 1978 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication in 2000. He relocated to Nevada in 2006. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Las Vegas. Matthews earned a B.A. in journalism from Boston University in 2000. His career experience includes working as the president of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a sports writer, and an editor.

Elections

2022

See also: Nevada Controller election, 2022

General election

General election for Nevada Controller

Andy Matthews defeated Ellen Spiegel and Jed Profeta in the general election for Nevada Controller on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andy Matthews (R)	50.1	504,703
		Ellen Spiegel (D)	45.9	463,092
		Jed Profeta (L)	1.5	15,375
		Other/Write-in votes	2.5	25,029

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,008,199
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Nevada Controller

Ellen Spiegel defeated Alex Costa in the Democratic primary for Nevada Controller on June 14, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ellen Spiegel	67.3	111,989
		Alex Costa	24.4	40,664
		Other/Write-in votes	8.3	13,841

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 166,494
= 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

The Republican primary election was canceled. Andy Matthews advanced from the Republican primary for Nevada Controller.

2020

See also: Nevada State Assembly elections, 2020

General election

General election for Nevada State Assembly District 37

Andy Matthews defeated incumbent Shea Backus in the general election for Nevada State Assembly District 37 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andy Matthews (R)	50.9	18,727
		Shea Backus (D)	49.1	18,070

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,797
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Shea Backus advanced from the Democratic primary for Nevada State Assembly District 37.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Nevada State Assembly District 37

Andy Matthews defeated Michelle Mortensen, Jacob Deaville, and Lisa Noeth in the Republican primary for Nevada State Assembly District 37 on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andy Matthews	49.0	3,170
		Michelle Mortensen	26.3	1,705
		Jacob Deaville	22.3	1,441
	Submit photo	Lisa Noeth	2.4	156

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,472
= 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.

2016

See also: Nevada's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Nevada's 3rd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Republican incumbent Joe Heck, who began serving in Congress in 2010, chose to seek election to the Senate in 2016, leaving the seat open. Jacky Rosen (D) defeated Danny Tarkanian (R), David Goossen (Independent), and Warren Markowitz (Independent American) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Rosen defeated five other Democrats to win the primary, while Tarkanian defeated six primary opponents. The primary elections took place on June 14, 2016.

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jacky Rosen	47.2%	146,869
	Republican	Danny Tarkanian	46%	142,926
	Independent American	Warren Markowitz	3.7%	11,602
	Independent	David Goossen	3.1%	9,566
Total Votes				310,963
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Danny Tarkanian	32%	9,002
Michael Roberson	24%	6,759
Michele Fiore	18.2%	5,124
Andy Matthews	14.1%	3,975
Kerry Bowers	5.6%	1,569
Annette Teijeiro	4.7%	1,336
Sami Khal	1.4%	381
Total Votes		28,146
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

U.S. House, Nevada District 3 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jacky Rosen	62.2%	14,221
Jesse Sbaih	12.8%	2,928
Barry Michaels	9.7%	2,219
Steven Schiffman	5.4%	1,237
Alex Singer	5.3%	1,208
Neil Waite	4.6%	1,055
Total Votes		22,868
Source: Nevada Secretary of State

Andy Matthews' campaign announcement

Matthews was a member of the NRCC's Young Guns Program in 2016. The Young Guns program "supports and mentors challenger and open-seat candidates in races across the country."

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Andy Matthews did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Andy Matthews completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Matthews' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the former President of the Nevada Policy Research Institute, Nevada's leading proponent of limited government, individual liberty, free-market policies and conservative principles. I'm running to protect the ideals that have long made Nevada a land of opportunity and prosperity.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I support keeping taxes low, rolling back burdensome regulations, and maintaining an environment where people have access to quality jobs and economic opportunity.
• I will fight to bring more parental choice and accountability to Nevada's failing education system.
• I will prioritize public safety, ensuring our law-enforcement community has the tools to keep our neighborhoods and communities safe. I oppose dangerous sanctuary city policies.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My top priorities as Nevada's next Assemblyman from District 37 will be: maintaining a business and economic environment that fosters prosperity and opportunity; promoting reforms that will increase parental choice in education and create more accountability for education spending; opposing policies, such as sanctuary cities, that threaten the safety of our citizens; and upholding constitutional principles and the ideals of individual liberty,

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek, and The Law by Frederic Bastiat

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and loyalty to the rule of law and constitutional principles.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity, and an understanding of the policy-making process in our state.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To preserve liberty and defend the constitution.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As a leader who advanced the cause of liberty.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

The most important thing is to stand on principle, and promote the policy solutions that will make our state a better place for all of our citizens.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Rebuilding our economy and improving our education system, while removing barriers to opportunity.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. Working with other legislators is crucial in order to serve the people of my state. Public service means building consensus and providing leadership on the issues that affect our citizens the most.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I have a long-time friend who was a business owner in Nevada, but had to leave the state because the growing tax and regulatory burden made it impossible to continue to be successful and operate his business. He had to let his workers go and move away from Nevada. Government should never get so big and burdensome that we limit opportunity and make it so difficult to run a business and get a good job. When it does, all of us suffer - our businesses, families and workers. I will fight to make sure Nevada is a land of limitless opportunity.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2016

According to Matthews, "America needs serious solutions to real problems, not more broken promises." The following statements are campaign issues highlighted on Matthews' campaign website.

• Economy:

"Our federal government taxes too much, spends too much, regulates too much, and spends too much time trying to run our lives. Washington politicians seem to have no understanding of how to promote economic prosperity. I support common-sense policies that will create economic growth and opportunity for every American. We need to cut spending and lower taxes, not increase them. Our $18 trillion debt is staggering— and it’s killing jobs, dragging down our economy, and threatening our future. As your Congressman, I will continue to fight for fiscal sanity, just as I have here in Nevada."

• Immigration:

"Our immigration system is a mess. But before we talk about anything else, we need to secure the border. Congress controls the purse strings and writes the laws. Members of Congress could secure the border right this instant, as you’re reading this—and they should. There are a lot of other issues we have to deal with concerning illegal immigration. But we can’t address any of them seriously unless we first secure our border. As long as millions of people continue to stream into America illegally, we have a major problem. As your Congressman, I will focus on border security and won’t play the political games."

• Healthcare:

"Health care is too expensive and not easily accessible for too many Americans—and Obamacare made everything worse. The first step in solving these problems is to repeal Obamacare entirely. Before Washington bureaucrats began meddling in every aspect of our health care system, treatment was much more affordable. The best way to bring down costs is to make prices more transparent and force insurance and health care companies to compete. More government intrusion is not the solution. As your Congressman, I will work to repeal Obamacare and apply market-based solutions that will actually make health care more affordable and more accessible."

• Regulations and Role of Government:

"Today, so much of what our government does is dictated by an army of unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats in the Executive Branch. They enforce top-down, one-size-fits-all regulations that cost our country billions, without any regard for businesses’ or industries’ unique circumstances or the separation-of-powers principle. Only by removing governmental barriers and empowering free individuals will we return to an era of opportunity and prosperity, and unleash the creative and innovative American spirit that will lead to more jobs and a stronger economy. As your Congressman, I will fight to roll back regulations and limit government to the role prescribed by our Constitution."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Andy Matthews campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Nevada Controller	Won general	$345,985	$0
2020	Nevada State Assembly District 37	Won general	$443,563	N/A**
Grand total			$789,549	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

State legislative tenure

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Nevada

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Nevada scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2022

In 2022, the Nevada State Legislature was not in session.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 1 to June 1. Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada Legislators are scored on their stances on policies related to reproductive health issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Nevada Conservation League: Senate and Assembly Legislators are scored on environment and conservation issues. Nevada Policy Research Institute Legislators are scored on their voting record concerning economic and education issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2021-2022

Matthews was assigned to the following committees:

• Government Affairs Committee
• Health and Human Services Committee
• Legislative Operations and Elections Committee

External links

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Catherine Byrne (D)	Nevada Controller 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Shea Backus (D)	Nevada State Assembly District 37 2020-2022	Succeeded by Shea Backus (D)