Cresent Hardy visits a Republican campaign office Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Las Vegas. Hardy is a Republican candidate for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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Steven Horsford
These candidates are more than familiar with each other.
In the 4th Congressional District race, Republican Cresent Hardy will face Democrat Steven Horsford in November for the two-year term in a rematch of the 2014 race where Hardy upset the-then incumbent Horsford. Both won primary elections on Tuesday to setup the rematch.
The 2014 result came down to voter turnout, where Hardy prevailed with a boost from the district’s mostly Republican rural voters. The district includes areas of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, White Pine, Nye, Mineral, Esmeralda and Lincoln counties.
Of the 303,000 voters in the district in 2014, about 130,000 were registered Democrats, about 97,000 were Republicans and about 70,000 are independents or nonpartisans, according to the Nevada Secretary of State. Hardy won by the slimmest of margins, about 3,000 votes.
“The choices could not be more clear — someone like me who wants to offer decency, civility and solutions,” Horsford said. “Or someone who really talks about supporting Trump’s agenda, and who has supported increasing the retirement age to 75. Someone who has an A rating with the NRA and has already been endorsed by them and does not want to do anything with gun safety in our communities and has actually voted to take health care away from tens of thousands of Nevadans.”
Hardy in 2016 lost to Rep. Ruben Kihuen, who was expected to run for re-election until news surfaced about seven months ago accusing him of misconduct by a former member of his campaign. That freed up space for a competitive race between Horsford, Pat Spearman, Allison Stephens, Amy Vilela, John Anzalone and Sid Zeller.
Horsford secured about 61.7 percent of the vote in the crowded primary, with Spearman as his closest competitor at 15.1 percent with 69 percent of precincts reporting, according to the New York Times.
“I’m also very thankful to the other candidates in the Democratic primary who put their names forward after the election results in 2016,” Horsford said. “There were a lot of people who wanted to come forward and offer their ideas, offer their passion, and that really came through in this primary and I think we’re stronger for it.”
Hardy amassed 46.9 percent of the vote in the primary, with David Gibbs as his closest competitor at 19.2 percent with 65 percent of precincts reporting in, according to the Times.
“I want to say just a few words as well about my opponent in this race. The people of Nevada fired him four years ago, and the only person disappointed about that fact is his mentor, Harry Reid,” Hardy said in a statement. “The last thing Nevada needs representing them in Congress is a professional politician who cashed in on public service for massive lobbying contracts and mansions in the Washington suburbs.”
