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Ruben Kihuen

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Ruben J. Kihuen
Image of Ruben J. Kihuen
Prior offices
Nevada State Assembly

Nevada State Senate District 10

U.S. House Nevada District 4
Successor: Steven Horsford
Predecessor: Cresent Hardy

Elections and appointments
Last election

April 2, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2004

Personal
Religion
Christian: Catholic
Profession
Academic Advisor, Community College of Southern Nevada

Ruben J. Kihuen (Democratic Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Nevada's 4th Congressional District. Kihuen assumed office on January 3, 2017. Kihuen left office on January 3, 2019.

Kihuen ran for election to the Las Vegas City Council to represent Ward 3 in Nevada. Kihuen lost in the primary on April 2, 2019.

Kihuen (b. April 25, 1980) is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House representing the 4th Congressional District of Nevada from 2017 to 2019. On December 16, 2017, amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Kihuen announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018. He said, "It is in the best interests of my family and my constituents to complete my term in Congress and not seek re-election."[1]

Kihuen served in the Nevada State Senate, representing District 10 from 2010 to 2016. Kihuen served as co-minority whip from 2015 to 2016. In the 2013 session, Kihuen served as majority whip.

Kihuen served in the Nevada State Assembly, representing District 11 from 2007 to 2010.[2]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Kihuen's academic, professional, and political career:[3]

  • 2017-2019: U.S. Representative from Nevada's 4th Congressional District
  • 2011-2016: Nevada state senator
    • 2013-2014: Senate majority whip
    • 2015: Senate minority whip
  • 2007-2010: Nevada state assemblyman
  • 2004-2006: Staff, United States Senator Harry Reid of Nevada
  • Academic adviser, College of Southern Nevada
  • 2004: Graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a B.S.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Kihuen was assigned to the following committees:[4]

State senate

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Kihuen served on the following committees:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Kihuen served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Kihuen served on the following committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, while in the Nevada Assembly, Kihuen served on the following committees:

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

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

2019

See also: City elections in Las Vegas, Nevada (2019)

General election

General election for Las Vegas City Council Ward 3

Olivia Diaz defeated Melissa Clary in the general election for Las Vegas City Council Ward 3 on June 11, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Olivia Diaz
Olivia Diaz (Nonpartisan)
 
51.4
 
1,359
Image of Melissa Clary
Melissa Clary (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
48.6
 
1,285

Total votes: 2,644
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.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Las Vegas City Council Ward 3

The following candidates ran in the primary for Las Vegas City Council Ward 3 on April 2, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Olivia Diaz
Olivia Diaz (Nonpartisan)
 
33.1
 
1,016
Image of Melissa Clary
Melissa Clary (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
28.3
 
866
Image of Ruben J. Kihuen
Ruben J. Kihuen (Nonpartisan)
 
28.1
 
861
Image of David Lopez
David Lopez (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
3.3
 
102
Image of Shawn Mooneyham
Shawn Mooneyham (Nonpartisan)
 
2.9
 
90
Image of Aaron Bautista
Aaron Bautista (Nonpartisan)
 
2.3
 
71
Mingo Collaso (Nonpartisan)
 
1.9
 
59

Total votes: 3,065
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.

2018

See also: Nevada's 4th Congressional District election, 2018

On December 16, 2017, Kihuen announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018.[1]

2016

Obama endorsement
Obama template image.jpg
During the 2016 election cycle Kihuen was one of the candidates endorsed by President Barack Obama

Full list of Obama's 2016 endorsements
See also: Nevada's 4th Congressional District election, 2016

Nevada's 4th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. State Sen. Ruben Kihuen (D) defeated Republican incumbent Cresent Hardy, Steve Brown (L), and Mike Little (Independent American) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Hardy defeated challengers Mike Monroe and Wayne Villines in the Republican primary, while Kihuen defeated seven other Democrats to win the nomination in the primary. The primary elections took place on June 14, 2016.[43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]

U.S. House, Nevada District 4 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngRuben Kihuen 48.5% 128,985
     Republican Cresent Hardy Incumbent 44.5% 118,328
     Libertarian Steve Brown 3.8% 10,206
     Independent American Mike Little 3.1% 8,327
Total Votes 265,846
Source: Nevada Secretary of State


U.S. House, Nevada District 4 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngCresent Hardy Incumbent 76.8% 18,610
Mike Monroe 17.9% 4,336
Wayne Villines 5.3% 1,290
Total Votes 24,236
Source: Nevada Secretary of State
U.S. House, Nevada District 4 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRuben Kihuen 39.9% 12,221
Lucy Flores 25.7% 7,854
Susie Lee 20.9% 6,407
Morse Arberry 6.2% 1,902
Rodney Smith 2.8% 869
Mike Schaefer 2.5% 773
Dan Rolle 1.1% 336
Brandon Casutt 0.8% 240
Total Votes 30,602
Source: Nevada Secretary of State


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 Ruben Kihuen ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Ed Uehling ran as a Libertarian candidate. Kihuen defeated Uehling in the general election.[51][52][53][54]

Nevada State Senate District 10, General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngRuben Kihuen Incumbent 64.9% 8,143
     Libertarian Ed Uehling 35.1% 4,409
Total Votes 12,552

2012

See also: Nevada's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

Kihuen ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House representing Nevada's 1st District. He sought the nomination on the Democratic ticket, but he dropped out of the race in January 2012.[55] He would have faced Dina Titus in the June 12, 2012 primary. Incumbent Democrat Shelley Berkley ran for election to the U.S. Senate.

2010

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2010

On November 2, 2010, Kihuen won election to the Clark 10 District Seat in the Nevada State Senate, defeating Henry Tyler and Glenn Brown.[56]

Nevada State Senate, Clark 10 General election (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Ruben Kihuen (D) 8,397
Henry Tyler (R) 3,438
Glenn Brown (I) 808

2008

See also: Nevada State Assembly elections, 2008

On November 4, 2008, Kihuen won re-election to the District 11 Seat in the Nevada Assembly, defeating Ken Upp.[57]

Kihuen raised $104,753 for his campaign.[58]

Nevada State Assembly, District 11 (2008)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Ruben Kihuen (D) 4,288 81.12%
Ken Upp 998 18.88%

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ruben J. Kihuen did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

2016

The following issues were listed on Kihuen's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

  • Addressing Wealth Inequality and Holding Wall Street Accountable: According to the Institute for Policy Studies, the 20 wealthiest Americans, who could fit in a single Gulfstream G650 luxury jet,­ now own more wealth than half of the American population. Average Americans work longer hours for less pay. This growing wealth and income inequality is simply unacceptable.
  • Investing in our Children: As a young immigrant, the education I received from the Clark County School District is the reason I am here today. I deeply believe in public education and believe we have an obligation to ensure all students, regardless of the color of their skin or the income of their parents, receive a top-notch education.
  • Making College More Affordable: It's time we make debt-free college a national priority and ensure the next generation can lead our economy forward free of the burden of tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt.
  • Raising the Minimum Wage: If you work 40 hours a week and make the Nevada minimum wage of $8.25/hour, you are living in poverty. That is simply unacceptable. No one in the United States who works full time should live in poverty.
  • A Dignified Retirement for Our Seniors: With the number of people with pensions dwindling and the number of people retiring increasing, we must protect and expand Social Security and Medicare to ensure a dignified retirement for our seniors.

[59]

—Ruben Kihuen's campaign website, http://rubenforcongress.com/

2014

Kihuen's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[60]

Revitalizing and Diversifying our Economy

  • Excerpt: "I will continue to make Nevada a good place to live by supporting efforts to grow our economy, developing sustainable communities, protect worker safety and leveraging new and emerging technologies to create new and higher-paying jobs."

Protecting Our Schools and Strengthening our Education System

  • Excerpt: "We can’t fix our current budget problems on the backs of our children. We must balance the budget responsibly and not cut funding for education. We must expand education programs such as career and technical education that have a proven record of helping students succeed in school."

Protecting Homeowners and Consumer Rights

  • Excerpt: "I will continue to work to create programs and enact laws that help protect homeowners in our fragile economy and prevent predatory lending practices. I will fight to protect the value of home ownership, so that our communities are stable, safe and well-maintained."

Veterans

  • Excerpt: "We need to provide more options for our returning veterans, not just with access to well-paying jobs but also provide them with resources for the emotional and physical support they may need so that they can face the economy and life with their best foot forward."

Protecting Our Seniors

  • Excerpt: "We must continue to protect our senior citizens from out of control costs that threaten their quality of life. Prescription drugs and medical bills threaten our seniors every single day. We must protect our seniors by keeping their health care costs low and eliminating scams and fraud."

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.


Ruben J. Kihuen campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2016U.S. House, Nevada District 4Won $2,200,070 N/A**
2014Nevada State Senate, District 10Won $220,950 N/A**
2010Nevada State Senate, Clark 10Won $17,500 N/A**
2008Nevada State Assembly, District 11Won $104,753 N/A**
2006Nevada State Assembly, District 11Won $79,759 N/A**
Grand total$2,623,032 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal 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.

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.










2016

In 2016, the Nevada State Legislature did not hold a regular session.


2015


2014


2013


2012


2011

Nevada Policy Research Institute

See also: Nevada Policy Research Institute's Legislative Session Review & Report Card

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."[62]

2011

Kihuen received a score of 31.75 percent in the 2011 report card, ranking 51st out of all 63 Nevada State Legislature members.[62]

2016 Democratic National Convention

Noteworthy events

Ethics committee releases report detailing harassment of women (2018)

See also: Sexual assault and harassment in American politics (2017-2018)

On November 15, 2018, the House Ethics Committee released a report finding Kihuen harassed women and violated the House's code of conduct. The report said, "Kihuen made persistent and unwanted advances towards women who were required to interact with him as part of their professional responsibilities." The committee decided Kihuen's behavior merited reproval.[70]

On December 1, 2017, BuzzFeed reported that on multiple occasions Kihuen asked a 25-year-old woman who worked on his campaign for dates and sex. The woman also said Kihuen touched her thighs without consent on two occasions. She quit Kihuen's campaign in April 2016. Kihuen's office said the congressman wanted to "make it clear that I don’t recall any of the circumstances" the woman described.[71]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called on Kihuen to resign due to the allegations. On December 7, she said she would not support a primary challenge to Kihuen in 2018.[72]

On December 16, 2017, Kihuen announced he would not seek re-election in 2018. He said, "It is in the best interests of my family and my constituents to complete my term in Congress and not seek re-election." At the time of the announcement, Kihuen was under an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Kihuen denied the allegations and said he would fully cooperate with the investigation.[1]

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Hill, "Kihuen won't seek reelection amid sexual harassment allegations," December 16, 2017
  2. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bio
  3. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "KIHUEN, Ruben Jesus, (1980 - )," accessed January 14, 2017
  4. U.S. House Clerk, ""Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress,"" accessed February 2, 2017
  5. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed December 13, 2018
  6. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 284," June 21, 2018
  7. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 282," June 21, 2018
  8. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed March 12, 2019
  9. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 549," October 3, 2017
  10. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 344," June 29, 2017
  11. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 342," June 29, 2017
  12. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 256," May 4, 2017
  13. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018
  14. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018
  15. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018
  16. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018
  17. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 216," May 22, 2018
  18. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018
  19. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018
  20. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 60," February 6, 2018
  21. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018
  22. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018
  23. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 708," December 21, 2017
  24. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 692," December 19, 2017
  25. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 670," December 7, 2017
  26. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 637," November 16, 2017
  27. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 589," October 26, 2017
  28. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017
  29. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017
  30. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017
  31. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 441," September 6, 2017
  32. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 299," June 8, 2017
  33. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017
  34. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 230," May 24, 2018
  35. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 49," January 30, 2018
  36. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 631," November 14, 2017
  37. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 435," July 27, 2017
  38. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 413," July 25, 2017
  39. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 437," July 28, 2017
  40. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 407," July 24, 2017
  41. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 378," July 14, 2017
  42. Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 136," March 8, 2017
  43. Nevada Secretary of State, "2016 Filed Non-Judicial Candidates," accessed March 19, 2016
  44. Facebook, "I AM RUNNING FOR CONGRESS - CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 4," March 28, 2015
  45. Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Democrat Lucy Flores announces congressional bid," April 22, 2015
  46. Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Vegas philanthropist Susie Lee may seek congressional seat," April 27, 2015
  47. KNPR, "Former Assembly Speaker John Oceguera Running For Congress," July 9, 2015
  48. Roll Call, "Exclusive: NRCC Announces 12 Members in Patriot Program," February 13, 2015
  49. The New York Times, "Nevada Primary Results," June 14, 2016
  50. Nevada Secretary of State, "2016 Master Statewide Certified List of Candidates," accessed September 7, 2016
  51. Nevada Secretary of State, "2014 filed candidates," accessed April 8, 2014
  52. Clark County, "Candidate filing," accessed April 8, 2014
  53. Nevada Secretary of State, "Nevada Primary Election 2014," accessed June 10, 2014
  54. Nevada Secretary of State, "2014 Official Statewide General Election Results," accessed April 30, 2015
  55. Las Vegas Review Journal, "Kihuen to pursue 1st Congressional seat," accessed February 4, 2012
  56. Nevada Secretary of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 5, 2014
  57. Nevada Secretary of State, "2008 General Election Results," accessed May 5, 2014
  58. Follow the Money, "2008 campaign contributions," accessed May 5, 2014
  59. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  60. Ruben Kihuen campaign website, "Where I Stand," accessed September 16, 2014
  61. 61.0 61.1 Nevada State Legislature, "Session Information," accessed July 3, 2014
  62. 62.0 62.1 Nevada Policy Research Institute, "The 2011 Nevada Legislative Session Review & Report Card," accessed May 5, 2014
  63. Ballotpedia's list of superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention is based on our own research and lists provided by the Democratic National Committee to Vox.com in February 2016 and May 2016. If you think we made an error in identifying superdelegates, please send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
  64. KLS.com, “Nevada Dem insiders either support Clinton or aren't saying,” November 13, 2015
  65. To find out which candidate a superdelegate supported, Ballotpedia sought out public statements from the superdelegate in other media outlets and on social media. If we were unable to find a public statement that clearly articulated which candidate the superdelegate supported at the national convention, we listed that superdelegate as "unknown." If you believe we made an error in identifying which candidate a superdelegate supported, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
  66. Congressional Research Service, "The Presidential Nominating Process and the National Party Conventions, 2016: Frequently Asked Questions," December 30, 2015
  67. 67.0 67.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
  68. The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
  69. Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
  70. Roll Call, "Ruben Kihuen Harassed Women, Ethics Committee Finds," November 16, 2018
  71. BuzzFeed, "She Says She Quit Her Campaign Job After He Harassed Her. Now He’s In Congress." December 1, 2017
  72. Politico, "Democrat Kihuen hanging on despite harassment claim," December 7, 2017
Political offices
Preceded by
Cresent Hardy (R)
U.S. House, Nevada, District 4
2017–2019
Succeeded by
Steven Horsford (D)
Preceded by
Bob Coffin (D)
Nevada State Senate District 11
2010–2016
Succeeded by
Aaron Ford (D)
Preceded by
'
Nevada State Assembly District 11
2006–2010
Succeeded by
Olivia Diaz (D)