Ben Kieckhefer
Ben Kieckhefer (Republican Party) was the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Nevada. He assumed office on January 2, 2023. He left office in 2024.
Kieckhefer (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Nevada State Senate to represent District 16. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Kieckhefer served as assistant majority leader from 2015 to 2016. In the 2013 session, Kieckhefer served as assistant minority floor leader.
Biography
Kieckhefer earned his B.A. from DePaul University and his M.A. from the University of Illinois.
Committee assignments
2021-2022
Kieckhefer was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- Revenue and Economic Development Committee
- Finance Committee
2019-2020
Kieckhefer was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Nevada committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Finance |
| • Revenue and Economic Development |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Kieckhefer served on the following committees:
| Nevada committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Finance, Chair |
| • Health and Human Services, Vice-Chair |
| • Revenue and Economic Development |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Kieckhefer served on the following committees:
| Nevada committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Judiciary |
| • Revenue and Economic Development |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Kieckhefer served on the following committees:
| Nevada committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Finance |
| • Health and Human Services |
Campaign themes
2014
Kieckhefer's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[1]
Economy & Jobs
- Excerpt: "One of the most important things government can do is stay out of the way of businesses as the are built, grow, and create jobs. During his first term, Ben has focused on doing just that. He has fought successfully against massive business tax increases like Senate Democrats’ proposed payroll tax expansion in 2013. He also championed regulation reform, including greater transparency for agencies that regulate businesses (2013 – Senate Bill 370)."
Education
- Excerpt: "With two children in second grade in the Washoe County School District and two more entering the district in next school year, Ben understands parents’ concerns about the future of our education system. He believes that improving our education system will require continued support for critical education reforms that ensure we get the most out of our existing resources. Ben is also a strong supporter of charter schools and giving parents more choices when it comes to their child’s education."
Government’s Role & Budget
- Excerpt: "Preserving government’s limited role in the lives of Nevadans is one of the primary reasons Ben is running for re-election. He believes that individuals should be given every opportunity to make their own decisions about what’s best for themselves and their families. In order to preserve these liberties, government must not grow beyond its need to preserve a stable society, and Ben weighs this balance when considering legislation."
Taxes
- Excerpt: "Throughout his first term in the Nevada State Senate, and as a member of the Senate Revenue & Economic Development Committee in 2013, Ben has advocated for maintaining a low tax burden on Nevada families and businesses. Ben was a vocal opponent of the margins tax proposal Democrats proposed in 2011, and remains a strong opponent of the ballot initiative being pushed by big labor that will go to the voters in 2014."
2010
Kieckhefer's website highlighted the following issues:
- Economy and Jobs
- Excerpt: "Over the past several years I have worked closely with some of the top business leaders of northern Nevada and heard their concerns about how state government interacts with their business operations. I have their support in this campaign because they know I will fight for every job and work with the private sector rather than allow government bureaucracies to tie their hands."
- Education
- Excerpt: "We must give parents more control over their child's education by promoting the development of more charter schools, as well as turning over greater authority to individual schools for educating their students. We also need to hold teachers and administrators accountable for the success of their students' learning."
- Spending
- Excerpt: "The key to structuring government is to make this interaction a positive in our lives and not a burden. I believe it's time for our government to make some of the tough decisions every other Nevadan is making right now. We must scrutinize every program, every expense, every decision, now more than ever."
- Taxes
- Excerpt: "We should be crafting tax policy that stimulates growth and attracts new jobs. Instead it seems too often government puts a higher tax burden on the very small businesses that drive our economy and create jobs."
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
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.
Elections
2018
- See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Nevada State Senate District 16
Incumbent Ben Kieckhefer defeated Tina Davis-Hersey and John Wagner in the general election for Nevada State Senate District 16 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ben Kieckhefer (R) | 55.7 | 36,317 |
 | Tina Davis-Hersey (D) | 40.9 | 26,674 | |
| John Wagner (Independent American Party) | 3.4 | 2,219 | ||
| Total votes: 65,210 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Tina Davis-Hersey advanced from the Democratic primary for Nevada State Senate District 16.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Nevada State Senate District 16
Incumbent Ben Kieckhefer defeated Gary Schmidt in the Republican primary for Nevada State Senate District 16 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Kieckhefer | 56.2 | 7,319 |
 | Gary Schmidt | 43.8 | 5,698 | |
| Total votes: 13,017 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2014
- See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014. Incumbent Ben Kieckhefer defeated Gary Schmidt in the Republican primary, while Michael Kelley ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. John Everhart ran as an Independent American candidate. Kieckhefer defeated Kelley and Everhart in the general election.[2][3][4][5]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Ben Kieckhefer Incumbent |
64.9% | 27,225 | |
| Democratic | Michael Kelley | 28.7% | 12,021 | |
| Independent American | John Everhart | 6.4% | 2,691 | |
| Total Votes | 41,937 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Ben Kieckhefer Incumbent |
66.7% | 8,144 |
| Gary Schmidt | 33.3% | 4,060 |
| Total Votes | 12,204 | |
2010
- See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2010
On November 2, 2010, Kieckhefer won election to the Washoe 4 District Seat in the Nevada State Senate, defeating M. K. Yochum.[6]
| Nevada State Senate, Washoe 4 General election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Ben Kieckhefer (R)
|
27,314 | |||
| M. K. Yochum (I) | 9,654 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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.
Scorecards
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.
2021
In 2021, the Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 1 to June 1.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on policies related to reproductive health issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on environment and conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their voting record concerning economic and education issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Nevada State Legislature was not in session. It was in special session from July 8 to July 19 and from July 31 to August 5.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 4 through June 3.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Nevada State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 6 through June 5.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Nevada State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 2 through June 1.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Nevada State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 77th Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 4 through June 4.[7]
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Nevada State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the 76th Nevada State Legislature was in session from February 7 through June 7.[7]
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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."[8]
2011
Kieckhefer received a score of 53.08 percent in the 2011 report card, ranking 15th out of all 63 Nevada State Legislature members.[8]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Kieckhefer and his wife, April, have had four children.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Ben + Kieckhefer + Nevada + Senate"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ben for Nevada, "Issues," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "2014 filed candidates," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Clark County, "Candidate filing," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Nevada Primary Election 2014," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "2014 Official Statewide General Election Results," accessed April 30, 2015
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nevada State Legislature, "Session Information," accessed July 3, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Nevada Policy Research Institute, "The 2011 Nevada Legislative Session Review & Report Card," accessed May 5, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by N/A |
Nevada State Senate District 16 2013–2021 |
Succeeded by Donald Tatro (R) |
| Preceded by Randolph Townsend |
Nevada State Senate Washoe 4 2011–2012 |
Succeeded by N/A |
| |||||||
