Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Election analysis: Republicans have power to run the state their way

Nevada Republicans Election Night Watch Party

L.E. Baskow

Congressman-elect Cresent Hardy thanks supporters as Republicans gather to celebrate election victories, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, at Red Rock Resort.

The 2014 election was supposed to be boring. Instead, it made history.

A Republican sweep gave the party power it hasn’t had in nearly a century and will reshape the political landscape on issues from public education to taxes to health care.

A month ago, even the most optimistic Republican wouldn’t have predicted such a complete and thorough victory. But a combination of factors — namely, Democrats’ disenchantment with President Barack Obama and a lackluster ballot for liberals — presented an opportunity for Gov. Brian Sandoval and the GOP.

Beyond Nevada, a Republican surge also forced Sen. Harry Reid from his seat as Senate majority leader and shifted even more power into House Republicans’ hands.

The effects of the power shift will play out next year when the state Legislature meets in Nevada and the 114th Congress convenes. Whether last Tuesday’s results reflect a deeper change in Nevada politics will be answered in two years.

A new Nevada

The Republican victories clear the way for Sandoval’s legislative agenda to take flight next year. The last time Republicans controlled the governor’s office, Assembly and state Senate was in 1929.

Expect fixing Nevada’s broken education system to be a top talking point. The overwhelming defeat of the margin tax means approving new taxes to fund education will be a tough sell, opening the door for Republican-favored initiatives, such as charter schools and voucher programs.

Another thing to watch is how quickly the glut of first-time legislators get comfortable at the Capitol and what new issues they’ll try to push. In the Assembly, 13 of 25 Republican legislators will be freshmen. The Senate will have three fresh Republican faces.

Minority leader Harry Reid

Despite raising millions of dollars to support embattled Democrats, Reid watched his majority slip away as Republicans claimed Senate seats in Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina and several other states.

Although the change is sure to have major impacts at the national level, Reid’s demotion doesn’t mean his days as Nevada’s political rainmaker are over.

After three decades in Washington, Reid has plenty of favors to call in if needed, and he still has a strong ally in Obama.

Reid’s master politicking and knowledge of Senate rules make him a formidable opponent for Republicans and will allow him to continue to pursue Nevada’s interests, whether it’s blocking nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain or working through Nevada lands bills.

See you in 2016

Although Republicans are celebrating now, their hard-won victories could evaporate in 2016.

The presidential race means Democratic voters will turn out in greater numbers than they did this year, especially if Hillary Clinton is at the top of the ticket. Reid’s likely re-election run means his political machine will be in high-gear in 2016, benefitting Democrats across the state.

Don’t expect easy wins, though. After years of being beat by Democrats in the ground game, Sandoval showed this year he has built a formidable operation of his own to rival Reid’s.

Editor's note: Due to a copy editing error, the original version of this story contained a misspelling in the headline.

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