Brian Sandoval
Brian Edward Sandoval (born August 5, 1963, inRedding,California) was theRepublicanGovernor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019. He was first elected in2010 and was sworn into office January 3, 2011. Sandoval won a second term as governor in the2014 elections. Sandoval was prevented by term limits from seeking election to a third term in2018.
He was considered apossible presidential candidate in 2016, but ultimatelydid not declare for office.
Sandoval was previously a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada,Attorney General of Nevada and state legislator. When he was elected attorney general in 2002, he became the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in Nevada history. Prior to that, Sandoval was the youngest person ever appointed to serve as chairman of the gaming commission, at age 35.[1]
An analysis of Republican governors by Nate Silver of theNew York Times in April 2013 ranked Sandoval as the 29th most conservative governor in the country.[2]
Biography
Sandoval was born in Redding,Calif.. He completed high school in Reno, Nev. In college, he studied English and economics, as well as joining the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After earning his bachelor's, Sandoval attended law school at The Ohio State University. He was admitted to the bar in both California andNevada and briefly worked for several Reno-area firms before opening his own law office.[1]
In August 2012, Sandoval was included in a list of 20 Latino political rising stars compiled by theSan Francisco Chronicle.[3]
Education
- The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., 1989
- University of Nevada, B.A., 1986
- Bishop Manogue High School, 1981[1]
Political career
Governor of Nevada (2011-2019)
Sandoval was first electedGovernor of Nevada in 2010 and assumed office on January 3, 2011. As governor, Sandoval was responsible for appointing judges toNevada state courts. For an up-to-date list of all of Sandoval's appointees, seeJudges appointed by Brian Sandoval. Sandoval served until 2019. Sandoval was prevented by term limits from seeking election to a third term in2018.
Job creation ranking
A June 2013 analysis byThe Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sandoval was ranked number 27. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.[4][5]
Legalization of medical marijuana dispensaries
On June 12, 2013, Sandoval signed a bill to integratemedical marijuana production and distribution into the Nevada economy under government regulated conditions. Although Nevada was already among the 19 states to allow medical marijuana, since 2000 residents in possession of the appropriate state-issued license were allowed to grow their own medical marijuana but had no means to procure it legally on the open market. Card-carrying patients were permitted to continue growing medicinal marijuana for personal use until 2016, but, with the passage of SB374, they were also able to obtain it from dispensaries, the regulation of which is funded by tax revenues drawn from different segments of the newly-regulated industry.[6][7] Sandoval's approval of the measure made Nevada the 19th state in the U.S. (plus the District of Columbia) to legalize marijuana dispensaries.[8]
Affordable Care Act
Sandoval opposed theAffordable Care Act, but later became the firstRepublican governor in the country to support his state's participation in the Medicaid expansion as outlined under the law.[9] An estimated 604,000 Nevada residents were uninsured as of December 2012, when Sandoval decided to bring a pro-expansion budget proposal to theNevada Legislature with the intention of entering the state into the federal program. Sandoval said that it was in Nevada's "best interest to expand coverage to 78,000 residents" who were ineligible for the state's Medicaid rolls. To encourage the legislature to join him in support of the expansion, Sandoval made the case that participating would save the state $16 million in mental health programs that otherwise would be paid for out of the state general fund. "It would cost the state...more not to opt in," he said.[10]
Judge of the District Court for the District of Nevada (2005-2009)
On the recommendation of U.S. SenatorHarry Reid, Sandoval was nominated byGeorge W. Bush on March 1, 2005, to fill a seat vacated byHoward McKibben.[11][12] Sandoval was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 24, 2005, and received his commission onOctober 26, 2005.[13]
Federal seat resignation
In what was considered a surprise announcement, Judge Sandoval announced onAugust 14, 2009, that he would resign from his lifetime seat on the federal bench. His resignation was effectiveSeptember 15, 2009.[14] Sandoval was succeeded in this position byGloria M. Navarro.
Nevada Attorney General (2003-2005)
Sandoval announced his bid to succeed three-term Democrat Frankie Sue Del Papa—who decided not to seek re-election—asNevada attorney general on October 11, 2001. Sandoval defeated Democratic attorney John Hunt from Las Vegas, by a margin of 58.32 percent to 33.63 percent on November 5, 2002.[15] Sandoval took office on January 6, 2003.
While serving as attorney general, Sandoval led the state's legal fight against the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, developed Nevada's first public integrity unit and sponsored legislation increasing Nevada's penalties for domestic violence, drug abuse and human trafficking.[16]
As attorney general, Sandoval was also the chairman and a member of several state boards and commissions, including the Nevada Boards of Pardons, Prisons, Transportation and Examiners, the Cyber-Crime Task Force, the Committee on Domestic Violence and the Prosecutorial Advisory Council.[16]
Nevada Gaming Commission (1998-2001)
In 1998, Sandoval was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission, which oversees the Nevada's gaming industry. One year later, Sandoval became the commission's youngest chairman at age 35. While on the commission, Sandoval opposed efforts to block gambling on college sports events. At the same time, he supported regulations aimed at curbing the influence of the gaming industry on children, including a prohibition on slot machines with themes attractive to children.[17]
Nevada State Assembly (1994-1998)
Sandoval first ran for elected office in 1994, and served two terms in theNevada Assembly, representing the 25th legislative district, from 1994 to 1998. In the Assembly, Sandoval served on the Judiciary, Taxation and Natural Resources Committees and sponsored 14 bills that became law.[16]
While in the state legislature, Sandoval also served on the Nevada Legislative Commission, the Advisory Commission on Sentencing, the Juvenile Justice Commission, the Advisory Council on Community Notification of Sex Offenders and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Oversight Committee.[1]
Elections
2018
- See also:Nevada gubernatorial election, 2018
Brian Sandoval was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2016
U.S. Senate
There was speculation that Sandoval might seek election to theU.S. Senate in 2016 against Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid (D). Reid responded to the rumors, stating, "I don't care. If Brian wants to run for the Senate, let him."[18]
Sandoval confirmed on June 9, 2015, that he would not seek election to the Senate seat in 2016.[19]
2014
- See also:Nevada gubernatorial election, 2014
Sandoval won a second term as governor in the2014 elections.[20] Sandoval won the Republican nomination in the primary on June 10, 2014.[21] The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
Results
Primary election
| Governor of Nevada, Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Brian SandovalIncumbent | 89.9% | 105,857 | ||
| Eddie Hamilton | 3.2% | 3,758 | ||
| None of these candidates | 3% | 3,509 | ||
| William Tarbell | 1.7% | 1,966 | ||
| Thomas Tighe | 1.3% | 1,495 | ||
| Gary Marinch | 1% | 1,195 | ||
| Total Votes | 117,780 | |||
| Election results viaNevada Secretary of State. | ||||
General election
| Governor of Nevada, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Brian SandovalIncumbent | 70.6% | 386,340 | |
| Democratic | Robert Goodman | 23.9% | 130,722 | |
| Independent | None of these candidates | 2.9% | 15,751 | |
| Independent American | David Lory VanderBeek | 2.7% | 14,536 | |
| Total Votes | 547,349 | |||
| Election results viaNevada Secretary of State | ||||
2010
- See also:Nevada gubernatorial election, 2010
Sandoval announced his bid to enter the governor's race on August 15, 2009. He defeated incumbent Republican GovernorJim Gibbons in the primary and went on to defeatRory Reid, son ofHarry Reid, in the general election.[22]
- General Election - 2010 Gubernatorial Race
| Governor of Nevada, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Rory Reid | 41.6% | 298,171 | |
| Republican | Brian Sandoval | 53.4% | 382,350 | |
| Green | David Scott Curtis | 0.6% | 4,437 | |
| Libertarian | Arthur Forrest Lampitt | 0.7% | 4,672 | |
| Independent | Eugene DiSimone | 0.9% | 6,403 | |
| Independent | Aaron Y. Honig | 0.4% | 3,216 | |
| Independent | Floyd Fitzgibbons | 0.7% | 5,049 | |
| NA | None | 1.7% | 12,231 | |
| Total Votes | 716,529 | |||
- 2010Republican Primary - 2010 Gubernatorial Race
| Governor of Nevada, 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Tony Atwood | 1.4% | 2,440 |
| Jim GibbonsIncumbent | 27.2% | 47,616 |
| Stanleigh Harold Lusak | 0.8% | 1,380 |
| Michael L. Montandon | 12.6% | 22,003 |
| Brian Sandoval | 55.5% | 97,201 |
| None | 2.5% | 4,400 |
| Total Votes | 175,040 | |
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 theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.
| Year | Office | Status | Contributions | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Governor of Nevada | Won | $4,952,218 | N/A** |
| 2010 | Governor of Nevada | Won | $5,148,390 | N/A** |
| 2002 | NV Attorney General | Won | $1,688,107 | N/A** |
| 1996 | NV State Assembly | Won | $51,676 | N/A** |
| 1994 | NV State Assembly | Won | $72,909 | N/A** |
| Grand total | $11,913,300 | N/A** | ||
| Sources:OpenSecrets, Federal 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. | ||||
Noteworthy events
Possible SCOTUS nomination
Several news outlets reported that the White House began vetting Sandoval as a potential replacement for late Supreme Court JusticeAntonin Scalia, who passed away on February 13, 2016. Sandoval stated that he would not accept a nomination to the post. On February 25, 2016, he announced, "Earlier today, I notified the White House that I do not wish to be considered at this time for possible nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. I have also spoken to Senators Reid, Heller and McConnell and expressed the same desire to them. The notion of being considered for a seat on the highest court in the land is beyond humbling and I am incredibly grateful to have been mentioned."[23][24]
Presidential preference
2016 presidential endorsement
✓ Sandoval endorsedJohn Kasich for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S.presidential election.[25]
- See also:Endorsements for John Kasich
- On October 8, 2016, afterThe Washington Post released a 2005 video of Trump making comments about women that thePost described as "extremely lewd," Sandoval announced he could not supportDonald Trump as his party's nominee.[26][27]
2012
Brian Sandoval endorsedMitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[28] He had previously endorsed Rick Perry.[29]
Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement
After the attacks in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, many U.S. governors declared their support or opposition to Syrian refugee resettlement in their states. Sandoval expressedopposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state ofNevada. He said:
| “ | I am specifically concerned about the background checks performed for Syrian refugees sent to Nevada for resettlement, and would appreciate further guidance on the benefits eligibility of such persons while they reside here. We must balance our nation's role as an international leader with the safety and security of our citizens and visitors.[30] | ” |
| —Gov. Brian Sandoval[31] | ||
Personal
Note: Pleasecontact us if the personal information below requires an update.
When he serves as governor, Sandoval and his wife, Kathleen Teipner, had three children.[1]
Awards
On October 19, 2012,Governing Magazine named Sandoval one of eight "Public Officials of the Year." Each year since 1994,Governing has selected a handful of state and local officials to honor for standout job performance. The Public Officials of the Year program "recognizes leaders from state, city and county government who exemplify the ideals of public service." Other 2012 honorees included co-speakers of theOregon House of Representatives,Bruce Hanna andArnie Roblan, andCalifornia AuditorElaine Howle.Governing commended Sandoval for bipartisanship in office, citing his record of working with the Democratic-controlledNevada Legislature.[32][33]
Throughout his career, Sandoval received several awards and certificates, including the Hispanics in Politics' 1996 "Broche de Oro Award," the Anti-Defamation League's 2003 "Torch of Liberty Award," the Nevada State Bar's 2004 "Access to Justice Public Lawyer Award," The Latino Coalition's 2004 "Most Influential Hispanic in the U.S. Award" and the 2004 University of Nevada "Alumnus of the Year Award."[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsBrian Sandoval Nevada Governor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Governor of Nevada
- Nevada gubernatorial election, 2014
- Nevada gubernatorial election, 2010
- Attorney General of Nevada
- Brian Sandoval possible presidential campaign, 2016
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Executive actions:
- Financial (state level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Public statements:
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
- Brian Sandoval profile in United States District Court for the District of Nevada'sState of the Court 2006 report
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.31.41.5Governor of Nevada, "Governor Brian Sandoval," accessed Aug. 17, 2015
- ↑New York Times, "In State Governments, Signs of a Healthier G.O.P.," April 16, 2013
- ↑San Francisco Chronicle, "20 Latino political rising stars of 2012 (with PHOTO GALLERY)," August 25, 2012
- ↑The Business Journals, "Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states," June 27, 2013
- ↑The Business Journals, "How state governors rank on their job-growth record," June 27, 2013
- ↑The Washington Post, "Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signs into law bill allowing medical marijuana dispensaries," June 13, 2013
- ↑RGJ.com, "Medical marijuana dispensary law signed by Nevada governor," June 13, 2013
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Medical Marijuana Laws," accessed June 13, 2013
- ↑Stateline, "Seizing Medicaid Expansion as a Means to Reform," February 12, 2013
- ↑The Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Sandoval supports Medicaid expansion," December 13, 2012
- ↑Myers, Dennis (2004-12-02). "Citizen Reid". Reno News & Review.http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=23692. Retrieved on 2009-08-24.
- ↑"Nominations of John Richard Smoak, of Florida, to be District Judget for the Northern District of Florida; Brian Edward Sandoval, of Nevada, to be District Judge for the District of Nevada; Harry Sandlin Mattice, Jr., of Tennessee, to be District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee; Margaret Mary Sweeney, of Virginia, to be a Judge for the United States Court of Federal Claims; and Thomas Craig Wheeler, of Maryland, to be a Judge for the United States Court of Federal Claims". Government Printing Office. 2005-09-29.http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_senate_hearings&docid=f:27745.wais. Retrieved on 2009-08-24.
- ↑Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations of the 109th Congress," November 8, 2013
- ↑Las Vegas Review Journal "Sandoval to resign from federal court" August 14, 2009
- ↑"Election Summary". Official 2002 General Election Results.Nevada Secretary of State.https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://sos.state.nv.us/elections/results/2002General/ElectionSummary.asp. Retrieved on 2009-09-20.
- ↑16.016.116.2accessed Aug. 17, 2015
- ↑accessed Aug. 17, 2015
- ↑Reno Gazette-Journal, "Harry Reid: 'I don't care' if Sandoval runs for Senate," August 18, 2014
- ↑Roll Call, "Brian Sandoval Won’t Run for Nevada Senate (Video)," June 9, 2015
- ↑Las Vegas Sun, "Sandoval kicks off re-election bid with State of the State, budget," accessed January 16, 2013
- ↑Nebraska Secretary of State, "Silver State Election Night Results," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑"Sandoval announces bid for governor's job"Las Vegas Review-Journal
- ↑The Wall Street Journal, "Obama Vets Republican Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval for Supreme Court seat," accessed February 24, 2016
- ↑Politico, "Sandoval shoots down SCOTUS trial balloon," February 25, 2016
- ↑CNN, "Nevada Gov. Sandoval endorses Kasich," April 16 2016
- ↑Twitter, "Michelle Rindels," October 8, 2016
- ↑The Washington Post, "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005," October 8, 2016
- ↑Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Sandoval, Heller endorse Romney," April 11, 2012
- ↑The Weekly Standard, "Sandoval Endorses Perry," September 13, 2011
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑Las Vegas Sun, "Sandoval calls for halt to Syrian refugees in Nevada," November 17, 2015
- ↑Governing, "GOVERNING Announces 2012 Public Officials of the Year," October 19, 2012
- ↑Dylan Scott,Governing, "The Helmsman: Brian Sandoval," 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Gibbons (R) | Governor of Nevada 2011-2019 | Succeeded by Steve Sisolak (D) |
| Preceded by Howard McKibben | District of Nevada 2005–2009 | Succeeded by Gloria M. Navarro |
| Preceded by ' | Nevada Attorney General 2003-2005 | Succeeded by George Chanos (R) |
| Preceded by ' | Nevada State Assembly 1994-1998 | Succeeded by ' |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Armijo •Bates •Beistline •Blackburn •Bowdre •Bunning •Bury •Caldwell •Camp •Cassell •Cebull •Clement •Clifton •Crane •Eagan •Engelhardt •Friot •Gibbons •Granade •Gregory •Gritzner •Haddon •Hartz •Heaton •Hicks •Howard •Johnson •Jorgenson •Krieger •Land •Leon •Mahan •Martinez •Martone •McConnell •Melloy •Mills •O'Brien •Parker •Payne •Prost •Reeves •Riley •Robinson •Rogers •Royal •Shedd •B. Smith •L. Smith •Walton •Wooten •Zainey | ||
| 2002 | Africk •Anderson •Autrey •Baylson •Cercone •Chesler •Clark •Collyer •Conner •Conti •Corrigan •Davis •Davis •Dorr •England •Ericksen •Fuller •Gardner •Godbey •Griesbach •Hanen •Hovland •Hudson •Jones •Jordan •Kinkeade •Klausner •Kugler •Leighton •Linares •Moses •Marra •Martinez •Martini •Mays •McVerry •Phillips •Raggi •Reade •Rose •Rufe •Savage •Schwab •Smith •St. Eve •Walter •White •Wolfson | ||
| 2003 | Adams •Altonaga •Bea •Benitez •Bennett •Boyle •Brack •Breen •Browning •Burns •Bybee •Callahan •Campbell •Cardone •Carney •Castel •Chertoff •Cohn •Colloton •Conrad •Coogler •Cook •Cooke •Crone •Der-Yeghiayan •Drell •Duffey •Duncan •Erickson •Feuerstein •Figa •Filip •Fischer •Fisher •Flanagan •Floyd •Frost •Gibson •Greer •Gruender •Guirola •Hall •Hardiman •Hayes •Herrera •Hicks •Holmes •Holwell •Hopkins •Houston •Irizarry •Jones •Junell •Karas •Kravitz •Martinez •McKnight •Minaldi •Montalvo •Mosman •Otero •Pickering •Prado •Pratter •Proctor •Quarles •Robart •Roberts •Robinson •Rodgers •Rodriguez •Sabraw •Sanchez •Saylor •Selna •Sharpe •Simon •Springmann •Stanceu •Steele •Stengel •Suko •Sutton •Sykes •Titus •Townes •Tymkovich •Van Antwerpen •Varlan •Wake •Wesley •White •Woodcock • Yeakel | ||
| 2004 | Alvarez •Benton •Boyko •Covington •Diamond •Harwell •Kelley •Schiavelli •Schneider •Starrett •Watson | ||
| 2005 | Alito •Barrett •Batten •Bianco •Brown •Burgess •Conrad •Cox •Crotty •Delgado-Colon •Dever •DuBose •Griffin •Griffith •Johnston •Kendall •Larson •Ludington •Mattice •McKeague •Neilson •Owen •Pryor •Roberts •Sandoval •Schiltz •Seabright •Smoak •Van Tatenhove •Vitaliano •Watkins •Zouhary | ||
| 2006 | Besosa •Bumb •Chagares •Cogan •Gelpi •Golden •Gordon •Gorsuch •Guilford •Hillman •Holmes •Ikuta •D. Jordan •K. Jordan •Kavanaugh •Miller •Moore •Shepherd •Sheridan •Smith •Whitney •Wigenton | ||
| 2007 | Anderson •Aycock •Bailey •Bryant •Davis •DeGiusti •Dow •Elrod •Fairbank •Fischer •Frizzell •Gutierrez •Hall •Hardiman •Haynes •Howard •Jarvey •Jones •Jonker •Kapala •Kays •Laplante •Limbaugh •Lioi •Livingston •Maloney •Mauskopf •Mendez •Miller •Neff •O'Connor •O'Grady •O'Neill •Osteen •Ozerden •Reidinger •Sammartino •Schroeder •Settle •Smith •Snow •Southwick •Suddaby •Sullivan •Thapar •Tinder •Van Bokkelen •Wood •Wright •Wu | ||
| 2008 | Agee •Anello •Arguello •Brimmer •Gardephe •Goldberg •Jones •Kethledge •Lawrence •Matsumoto •Melgren •Murphy •Scriven •Seibel •Slomsky •Trenga •Waddoups •White | ||
 | State ofNevada Carson City (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections | What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2026 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures |
| Government | Who represents me? |U.S. President |U.S. Congress |Federal courts |State executives |State legislature |State and local courts |Counties |Cities |School districts |Public policy |
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 dplreplace parser function
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
- 2014 general election (winner)
- 2014 incumbent
- Appointed by George W. Bush
- Confirmed 2005
- Federal Article III judges
- Federal judiciary nominee, March 2005
- Former Nevada attorney general
- Former Nevada governor
- Former Republican attorney general
- Former Republican governor
- Former attorneys general
- Former federal judge
- Former federal judge, United States District Court for the District of Nevada
- Former governors
- Former state executive
- Governor of Nevada candidate, 2014
- Gubernatorial candidate, 2014
- Gubernatorial candidates
- Nevada
- Republican Party
- John Kasich endorsements by governors, 2016
- 2016 presidential endorser
- 2012 endorsement of Mitt Romney for President
- 2012 endorsement of Rick Perry for President
- Former federal judge, District of Nevada
- Former member, Nevada State Assembly
- Potential Republican presidential contenders, 2016
- 2010 State executive challenger
- State executive candidate, 2010
- Gubernatorial candidate, 2010
- 2010 State executive primary (winner)
- 2010 State executive general election (winner)
- 2014 State executive incumbent
- State executive candidate, 2014
- 2014 State executive primary (winner)
- 2014 State executive general election (winner)
- Former Article III judges
- Former state legislators
