Nevada 2022 primary election results
State GOP candidates push false election claims as they seek higher office.
Nevada voters head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in primaries for the governor, secretary of state, Senate, House of Representatives and the state legislature. Polls close at 10 p.m. ET.
Early voting in the state began on May 28 and ran through Friday. Nonpartisan voters in Nevada cannot vote in the Democratic or Republican primaries. Mail ballots must be received or postmarked by Tuesday to be counted.
State Significance
Nevada is one of several states where former President Donald Trump contested the 2020 election results. Now a slate of candidates is pushing those false claims as they seek higher office at the state and federal levels.
In the Nevada Senate race, Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto is one of the most vulnerable members of her party who will be on the ballot in November. Although she doesn't face any difficulties in her primary, the general election will test the support she has within Nevada. It's the GOP primary that has all the action: Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt is the front-runner in the race, but Sam Brown has been gaining momentum in recent weeks.
Nevada's gubernatorial race is a toss-up as Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak defends his seat. Sisolak had a difficult first term as governor, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused Nevada's tourism-based economy to suffer. All eyes will be on the GOP primary, where Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo is leading the crowded field.
As for the state's secretary of state race that is drawing national attention, Jim Marchant is the leading candidate in the GOP primary. Marchant has falsely claimed that Trump won the 2020 election and Marchant's candidacy is an example of a national trend involving supporters of the "big lie" now running for offices like secretary of state in order to influence how elections are conducted. If Marchant wins his primary, he will most likely face off against Democrat Cisco Aguilar in November.
Meanwhile, in the primary races for the House, although it's believed that all three of Nevada's incumbent Democrats will survive, the general election may give them cause for concern -- their victories are not assured.
If the current political climate continues, with Democrats' popularity dragged down by concerns about inflation and more, the races in Nevada at all levels signal that there could be problems come November.
