Nevada's 4th Congressional District elections, 2014
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November 4, 2014 |
June 10, 2014 |
Cresent Hardy ![]() |
Steven Horsford ![]() |
Cook Political Report: Likely D[1] FairVote's Monopoly Politics: Lean D[2] |
The 4th Congressional District of Nevada held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Cresent Hardy (R) defeated incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford (D), Steve Brown (L) and Russell Best (Independent American) in the general election.
Although Nevada's 4th District was thought to lean Democratic, Nevada state Rep. Hardy defeated incumbent Rep. Horsford in a surprising upset that switched the partisan control of the district from Democratic to Republican. In Hardy's victory speech, he stated, "We did what nobody thought could be done."[4] He won by 2.7 percent of the vote.
Heading into the election, The Cook Political Report, FairVote's Monopoly Politics and Sabato's Crystal Ball all predicted that the general election would favor the Democratic candidate.[5][6][7] Nevada's 4th District was created during the redistricting process after the 2010 census, and in 2012, Horsford became the district's first U.S. representative. He defeated Republican Danny Tarkanian by an 8.0 percent margin of victory. Although one election did not set much of a precedent on which to base predictions, Horsford appeared to have a large advantage in his bid for re-election until just weeks before the general. According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Horsford raised nearly five times as much money as Hardy raised in campaign contributions throughout the 2014 election cycle. Horsford received $1,427,231.61, while Hardy received only $294,515.88.[8]
One key factor in Hardy's success was satellite spending. On October 21, 2014, Crossroads GPS, a conservative group co-founded by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, announced that it would spend $820,000 on ads supporting Hardy and opposing Horsford.[9][10] Overall, the group ended up spending $1,072,596 on the race.[11]
In addition, 2014 was a particularly favorable year for Hardy's party, as Republicans across the nation experienced what some called a "GOP wave," increasing their majority in the U.S. House and gaining the majority in the Senate.[12] Many attributed this trend to midterm dissatisfaction and overall low approval ratings of President Barack Obama (D).[13]
Hardy took full advantage of Obama's unpopularity in Nevada, utilizing a unique campaign strategy to attack Horsford. On October 30, 2014, Horsford released an ad in which President Obama praised him for his work on the economy, announcing, "Michelle and I support Steven Horsford and we’re asking you to vote for him this Tuesday."[14] Rather than creating his own ad as a comeback, Hardy paid to have Horsford's ad played on radio stations in rural areas that tended to dislike Obama. The only change made to the ad was Hardy's voice approving the message at the end.
Voter turnout also played an important role in the election. According to the Nevada Secretary of State, Democrats registered to vote in the district far outnumbered registered Republicans, roughly 130,000 to 97,000. Midterm elections tend to have lower voter turnout, but 2014 was an exceptionally bad year, with 50 percent less voters showing up at the polls as compared to 2012.[15]
Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
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Primary: 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.[16][17]
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by May 10, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 14, 2014.[18]
- See also: Nevada elections, 2014
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Steven Horsford (D), who was first elected in 2012.
Nevada's 4th Congressional District is located in the central portion of the state and includes the counties of White Pine, Nye, Mineral, Esmeralda and Lincoln. It also includes southern Lyon County and northern Clark County.[19]
Candidates
General election candidates
Cresent Hardy
Steven Horsford - Incumbent
Steve Brown
Russell Best
June 10, 2014, primary results
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Election results
General election
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
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Democratic | Steven Horsford Incumbent | 45.8% | 59,844 | |
Republican | ![]() |
48.5% | 63,466 | |
Libertarian | Steve Brown | 3.1% | 4,119 | |
Independent American | Russell Best | 2.6% | 3,352 | |
Total Votes | 130,781 | |||
Source: Nevada Secretary of State |
Primary election
Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
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![]() |
42.6% | 10,398 | ||
Niger Innis | 33.1% | 8,077 | ||
Mike Monroe | 22.1% | 5,393 | ||
Carlo Poliak | 2.1% | 523 | ||
Total Votes | 24,391 | |||
Source: Nevada Secretary of State - Official Election Results |
Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
84.3% | 16,269 | ||
Mark Budetich | 7.9% | 1,532 | ||
Sid Zeller | 7.8% | 1,498 | ||
Total Votes | 19,299 | |||
Source: Nevada Secretary of State - Official Election Results |
Race background
Primary election background
In the primary election on June 10, 2014, Horsford easily defeated his two opponents for the Democratic nomination. Meanwhile, Hardy faced three other Republican candidates, including Niger Innis, who presented the toughest challenge. Innis did not concede right away, as he believed that voter fraud may have been involved.[20]
Endorsements
The National Republican Congressional Committee added Cresent Hardy (R) to their "On the Radar" list. According to the NRCC, candidates that made this list were set to receive "...the tools they need to run successful, winning campaigns against their Democratic opponents."[21][22]
Media
Cresent Hardy
The New America PAC NV released an ad in May 2014 criticizing Cresent Hardy for voting for Obamacare and for not being a true conservative.[23]
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Campaign contributions
Steven Horsford
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Horsford's reports.[24]
Steven Horsford (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
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Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
April Quarterly[25] | April 15, 2013 | $13,781.31 | $173,550.14 | $(155,709.05) | $31,622.40 | ||||
July Quarterly[26] | July 15, 2013 | $31,622.40 | $131,859.10 | $(142,259.97) | $21,221.53 | ||||
October Quarterly[27] | October 15, 2013 | $21,221.53 | $171,922.31 | $(75,461.70) | $117,682.14 | ||||
Year-End Quarterly[28] | January 31, 2013 | $117,682.14 | $145,610.74 | $(95,351.30) | $167,941.58 | ||||
April Quarterly[29] | April 15, 2014 | $167,941.58 | $220,331.76 | $(100,956.19) | $287,317.15 | ||||
Pre-Primary[30] | May 29, 2014 | $287,317.15 | $94,587.64 | $(102,185.43) | $279,719.36 | ||||
July Quarterly[31] | July 15, 2014 | $279,719.36 | $170,375.94 | $(45,591.36) | $404,503.94 | ||||
October Quarterly[32] | October 15, 2014 | $404,503.94 | $274,207.07 | $(236,321.29) | $442,389.72 | ||||
Pre-General[33] | October 23, 2014 | $442,389.72 | $44,786.91 | $(297,269.56) | $189,907.07 | ||||
Running totals | |||||||||
$1,427,231.61 | $(1,251,105.85) |
Cresent Hardy
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Hardy's reports.[34]
Cresent Hardy (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
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Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
Year-End[35] | January 31, 2014 | $0.00 | $123,736.20 | $(18,073.83) | $105,662.37 | ||||
April Quarterly[36] | April 15, 2014 | $105,662.37 | $45,658.72 | $(48,930.41) | $102,390.68 | ||||
Pre-Primary[37] | May 29, 2014 | $102,390.68 | $20,865.00 | $(68,424.89) | $54,830.79 | ||||
July Quarterly[38] | July 15, 2014 | $54,830.79 | $4,446.36 | $(26,278.59) | $32,998.56 | ||||
October Quarterly[39] | October 15, 2014 | $32,998.56 | $91,609.60 | $(86,483.29) | $38,124.87 | ||||
Pre-General[40] | October 23, 2014 | $38,124.87 | $8,200.00 | $(18,220.67) | $28,104.20 | ||||
Running totals | |||||||||
$294,515.88 | $(266,411.68) |
Niger Innis
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Innis' reports.[41]
Niger Innis (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
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Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
April Quarterly[42] | April 15, 2014 | $0.00 | $170,738.16 | $(73,158.24) | $97,579.92 | ||||
Running totals | |||||||||
$170,738.16 | $(73,158.24) |
District history
Candidate ballot access |
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2012
The 4th Congressional District of Nevada held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which Steven Horsford (D) won. He defeated Danny Tarkanian (R), Joseph P. Silvestri (L) and Floyd Fitzgibbons (Independent American).[43] The primary was held on June 12.[44]
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
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Democratic | ![]() |
50.1% | 120,501 | |
Republican | Danny Tarkanian | 42.1% | 101,261 | |
Libertarian | Joseph P. Silvestri | 3.9% | 9,341 | |
Independent American Party of Nevada | Floyd Fitzgibbons | 3.9% | 9,389 | |
Total Votes | 240,492 | |||
Source: Nevada Secretary of State "U.S. House of Representatives Results" |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Nevada, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 House Race Ratings for August 8, 2014," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ FairVote's Monopoly Politics, "2014 House Projections," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun, "Cresent Hardy closes out surprising win over Rep. Steven Horsford," accessed November 13, 2014
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 House Race Ratings for July 26, 2014," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ FairVote's Monopoly Politics, "2014 House Projections," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Nevada District 04 Race, Summary Data," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Las Vegas Review Journal, "Sensing an upset, conservative group ups ante against Horsford," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun, "Conservative PAC buying $820,000 of TV ads aimed at Horsford," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Nevada District 04 Race, Outside Spending," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Yes, this was a GOP wave election," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Republicans ride wave of anger against Obama to recapture Senate," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Why a Nevada congressional candidate is paying for his opponent’s advertising," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Las Vegas Sun, "Four reasons Cresent Hardy upset Rep. Steven Horsford," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ Clark County Nevada,"Election Department: How Party Affiliation Affects You in Elections," accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ Long Distance Voter, "Voter Registration Rules," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ Greenfield Daily Reporter, "Niger Innis concedes congressional primary race to Cresent Hardy, abandons recount effort," accessed July 3, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "House Republicans Put 36 Recruits ‘On the Radar’," accessed November 21, 2013
- ↑ NRCC Young Guns, "List," accessed March 20, 2014
- ↑ YouTube, "Cresent Hardy - Not A Conservative!" accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Horsford 2014 Summary reports," accessed July 22, 2013
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford April Quarterly," accessed July 22, 2013
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford July Quarterly," accessed July 22, 2013
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford October Quarterly," accessed October 25, 2013
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford Year-End Quarterly," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford April Quarterly," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford Pre-Primary," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford July Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford October Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ FEC, "Steven Horsford Pre-General," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy Summary Report," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy Year-End," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy April Quarterly," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy Pre-Primary," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy July Quarterly," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy October Quarterly," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cresent Hardy Pre-General," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Niger Innis Summary Report," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Niger Innis April Quarterly," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Nevada," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "2012 Congressional primary results," accessed May 5, 2014