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Nevada Attorney General election, 2018 (June 12 Republican primary)

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Nevada Attorney General
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Adam Laxalt (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Nevada
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Nevada
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A Republican Party primary election took place on June 12, 2018 in Nevada to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, attorney general election.


For more information about attorney general elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the attorney general of Nevada was Adam Laxalt (R), who was first elected in 2014. On November 1, 2017, Laxalt announced that he would run for governor rather than seeking re-election in 2018.
  • In 2018, Nevada was under divided government, meaning that neither party had a trifecta. It held this status as a result of Democrats gaining majorities in the Nevada State Senate and Nevada State Assembly in the 2016 elections. Nevada was also a Republican triplex, since the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state were Republicans.
  • In the presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, the Democratic candidate won Nevada in 2008, 2012, and 2016 and the Republican candidate won in 2000 and 2004. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 13 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Hillary Clinton's 2 percent margin in 2016.


    • Candidates and election results

    Wesley Duncan defeated Craig Mueller in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada on June 12, 2018.

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary for Attorney General of Nevada

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Wesley Duncan
    		Wesley Duncan Candidate Connection
     
    65.5
     
    		82,453
    Image of Craig Mueller
    		Craig Mueller
     
    34.5
     
    		43,361

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

    		Total votes: 125,814
    Candidate Connection = 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.

    Context of the 2018 election

    Endorsements

    Note: Prior to the signature filing deadline, endorsements will be added as Ballotpedia writers come across them. If you see that an endorsement is missing, please email us and we will add that endorsement. As the election draws closer, more information will be added to this page.

    Past elections

    2014

    See also: Nevada attorney general election, 2014

    Adam Laxalt was unopposed in the 2014 Republican primary election.[2]

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Nevada has a closed primary system, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[3][4]

    Poll times

    All polling places in Nevada are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[5][6]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in Nevada, each applicant must be must a citizen of the United States, a resident of Nevada for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election.

    Seventeen-year-olds can preregister to vote. Anyone who has been declared mentally incompetent by a court may not register to vote.[7]

    A voter registration application can be completed in person at the county clerk’s office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, other social service agencies, or college campuses. In-person registration must be completed 28 days before regular elections; registration forms submitted by mail must be postmarked by the same day. Online applications must be submitted by the Thursday before regular elections.[8][7]


    Nevada also allows same-day registration.

    Automatic registration

    Nevada automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.[9]

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Nevada has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    Nevada allows same-day voter registration at polling places during early voting and on election day.[7]

    Residency requirements

    In order to register to vote in Nevada, applicants must be a resident of the state for at least 30 days prior to the election.[7]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Nevada does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.[10] An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[11] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The Nevada Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.


    Voter ID requirements

    Nevada does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. A voter in Nevada must sign his or her name in the election board register at his or her polling place. The signature is compared with the signature on the voter's original application to vote or another form of identification, such as a driver's license, a state identification card, military identification, or another government-issued ID.[12]

    Early voting

    Nevada permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Nevada. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. County and city clerks deliver absentee/mail-in ballots automatically to all active registered voters in every election.[13][14]


    State overview

    Partisan control

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

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    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:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Nevada
     NevadaU.S.
    Total population:2,883,758316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):109,7813,531,905
    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).[15]

    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 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 47.9% Republican Party Donald Trump 45.5% 2.4%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 52.4% Republican Party Mitt Romney 45.7% 6.7%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 55.1% Republican Party John McCain 42.7% 12.4%
    2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 50.5% Democratic Party John Kerry 47.9% 2.6%
    2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 49.5% Democratic Party 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 Democratic Party Catherine Cortez Masto 47.1% Republican Party Joe Heck 44.7% 2.4%
    2012 Republican Party Dean Heller 45.9% Democratic Party Shelley Berkley 44.7% 1.2%
    2010 Democratic Party Harry Reid 50.3% Republican Party Sharron Angle 44.6% 5.7%
    2006 Republican Party John Ensign 55.4% Democratic Party Jack Carter 41.0% 14.4%
    2004 Democratic Party Harry Reid 61.1% Republican Party Richard Ziser 35.1% 26.0%
    2000 Republican Party John Ensign 55.0% Democratic Party 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 Republican Party Brian Sandoval 70.6% Democratic Party Bob Goodman 23.9% 46.7%
    2010 Republican Party Brian Sandoval 53.4% Democratic Party Rory Reid 41.6% 11.8%
    2006 Republican Party Jim Gibbons 47.9% Democratic Party Dina Titus 43.9% 4.0%
    2002 Republican Party Kenny Guinn 68.1% Democratic Party 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 Republican Party 1 25.0% Democratic Party 3 75.0% D+2
    2014 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+2
    2012[16] Republican Party 2 50.0% Democratic Party 2 50.0% Even
    2010 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2008 Republican Party 1 33.3% Democratic Party 2 66.7% D+1
    2006 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2004 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2002[17] Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
    2000 Republican Party 1 50.0% Democratic Party 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


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    There are no Pivot Counties in Nevada. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Nevada with 47.9 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 45.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1868 and 2016, Nevada voted Republican 51 percent of the time and Democratic 46 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Nevada voted Democratic three times and Republican the other two.[18]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Nevada. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[19][20]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 26 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 28.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 25 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 25.4 points.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 16 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 15.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 17 out of 42 state Assembly districts in Nevada with an average margin of victory of 18.6 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

    See also

    Nevada government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Recall dud, gubernatorial bid finish busy week in Nevada politics," November 12, 2017
    2. ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Nevada Primary Election 2014," accessed September 25, 2017
    3. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 17, 2023
    4. ↑ Clark County Nevada,"Election Department: How Party Affiliation Affects You in Elections," accessed April 17, 2023
    5. ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 293, Section 273," accessed April 17, 2023
    6. ↑ ACLU of Nevada, "Know Your Voting Rights - Voting in Nevada," accessed April 17, 2023
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Nevada Secretary of State, “Elections,” accessed October 3, 2024
    8. ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, “Registering to Vote,” accessed April 17, 2023
    9. ↑ Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, “Voter Registration,” accessed April 17, 2023
    10. ↑ The Nevada Independent, “The Indy Explains: How does Nevada verify a voter's eligibility?” April 23, 2017
    11. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    12. ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "NRS 293.277 Conditions for entitlement of person to vote; forms of identification to identify registered voter." accessed April 17, 2023
    13. ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, “Mail Ballot Voting,” accessed April 17, 2023
    14. ↑ BillTrack50, "NV AB321," accessed June 15, 2021
    15. ↑ Nevada Demographics, "Nevada Cities by Population," accessed September 5, 2017
    16. ↑ Nevada gained a fourth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2010 census.
    17. ↑ Nevada gained a third seat in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2000 census.
    18. ↑ 270towin.com, "Nevada," accessed August 3, 2017
    19. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    20. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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