2000 United States Senate election in Nevada
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 County results Ensign: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80-90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2000 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democrat Richard Bryan decided to retire instead of seeking a third term. Republican nominee John Ensign won the open seat. John Ensign defeated Ed Bernstein in a landslide despite George Walker Bush carrying the state by a very narrow margin in the concurrent presidential election in the state.
Incumbent Richard Bryan had been re-elected in 1994, winning by a comfortable margin amidst a national Republican wave.
Background
Incumbent Senator Richard Bryan had first been elected in 1988, and re-elected comfortably in 1994 amidst a national Republican wave. When he announced his retirement on February 18, 1999, many saw this decision as creating a competitive race.[1][2] Immediately, both parties sought top recruits, with Democrats favoring former governor Bob Miller, and Republicans seeking former congressman, and 1998 Senate nominee John Ensign.[3]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Ed Bernstein, attorney and talk show host
Declined
- Richard Bryan, incumbent Senator since 1989.[1]
- Bob Miller, former Governor of Nevada 1989-1999.[4]
- Frankie Sue Del Papa, Nevada Attorney General since 1991.[5]
Miller was interested, but on March 15, 1999 announced he would not run for Senate.[6] He chose not to run, as he liked living in Nevada and he and his family felt that 25 years in politics was enough.[6][7] With Miller out of the running, the next credible challenger was Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa. However, she would withdraw in September of that year, citing a lack of fundraising.[5] In the end, Democrats would nominate wealthy attorney and talk show host Ed Bernstein.[8]
Results
Bernstein was unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Republican primary
Candidates
- John Ensign, former U.S. Representative and nominee for the United States Senate in 1998
- Richard Hamzik
- Fernando Platin, Jr.
Ensign, a former congressman, lost the 1998 Senate election to Harry Reid by a narrow margin of 401 votes. After this loss, Ensign contemplated leaving politics for good. Bryan's retirement shook up these plans and Ensign, a top recruit for the GOP, ran and became a top fundraiser.[7] Ensign faced only token opposition.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Ensign | 95,904 | 88.03 | |
| Republican | Richard Hamzik | 6,202 | 5.69 | |
| Republican | None of these candidates | 5,290 | 4.86 | |
| Republican | Fernando Platin, Jr. | 1,543 | 1.42 | |
| Total votes | 108,939 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Ernie Berghof (IA)
- Ed Bernstein (D)
- John Ensign (R), former U.S. Representative and nominee for the United States Senate in 1998
- Bill Grutzmacher (CF)
- J.J. Johnson (L)
- Kathryn Rusco (G)
Campaign
Ensign was the favorite leading in polls by double digits. and significantly outraising his opponent.[10][11] Bernstein would counter by loaning his campaign nearly $1 million of his own money.[12] The trajectory of the race would change in the late summer when Ensign would face attacks for his anti-abortion stance and for voting to slash Social Security benefits. Ensign also was hurt by his comments claiming tax payer funded abortion to be worse than rape.[13] Bernstein also drew attention for his campaign by taking a group of senior citizens to Mexico to get them prescription drugs and highlight the high prices of prescription drugs.[14] However, even with these developments, Ensign still maintained a comfortable lead in polling in the closing weeks of the race.[15]
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 10, 2000
- Complete video of debate, October 20, 2000
Results
On election night, Ensign won comfortably, winning every county and ending a 12 year losing streak for Republicans in the states Senate races.[16]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Ensign | 330,687 | 55.09% | +14.09% | ||
| Democratic | Edward M. Bernstein | 238,260 | 39.69% | -11.24% | ||
| None of These Candidates | 11,503 | 1.92% | -1.40% | |||
| Green | Kathryn Rusco | 10,286 | 1.71% | |||
| Libertarian | J.J. Johnson | 5,395 | 0.90% | -0.67% | ||
| Independent American | Ernie Berghof | 2,540 | 0.42% | -1.01% | ||
| Citizens First Party | Bill Grutzmacher | 1,579 | 0.26% | |||
| Majority | 92,427 | 15.40% | +5.47% | |||
| Turnout | 600,250 | |||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Carson City
- Clark (largest municipality: Las Vegas)
- Humboldt (largest municipality: Winnemucca)
- Lyon (largest municipality: Fernley)
- Mineral (largest municipality: Hawthorne)
- Pershing (largest municipality: Lovelock)
- Storey (largest municipality: Virginia City)
- Washoe (largest municipality: Reno)
- White Pine (largest municipality: Ely)
See also
References
- ^ a b Associated Press (February 19, 1999). Sen. Bryan, D-Nevada, bowing out. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. pp. 4A.
- ^ Dewar, Helen (February 19, 1999). "Bryan Announces Senate Retirement". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Associated Press (February 19, 1999). Parties jump to fill void left by retiring senator. Kingman Daily Miner. pp. 5A.
- ^ Associated Press (March 6, 1999). Chafee to retire, boosting Dems' hopes for Senate. Bangor Daily News. pp. A10.
- ^ a b Las Vegas Sun (September 9, 1999). "In withdrawal, Del Papa cites lack of funds - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "2000 Senate races heating up - March 15, 1999". www.cnn.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Las Vegas Sun (November 8, 2000). "Little drama in Ensign win - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Assosciated Press (September 12, 1999). Political parties target seats for 2000 contest. The Southeast Missourian. p. 10.
- ^ "Results summary" (PDF). nvsos.gov. 2000. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- ^ ncs-import. "Democrat Bernstein claims he's gaining on GOP front-runner Ensign". www.nevadaappeal.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ A 501tax-exempt; Street, charitable organization 1100 13th; NW; Washington, Suite 800; Dc 20005857-0044. "Nevada Senate 2000 Race". OpenSecrets. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dewar, Helen (October 4, 2000). "In Fight for Senate, Deep Pockets Aid Democrats". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2003.
- ^ "Ensign, Bernstein seek rare open Senate seat - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". July 8, 2023. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Cross, Joe (June 29, 2000). Senate candidate brings 'RX RV Road Tour to Town'. Pahrump Valley Gazette. p. 16.
- ^ Sonner, Scott (October 6, 2000). Surprising challenger tightens Nevada senate race. Kingman Daily Miner. pp. 4B.
- ^ "CNN.com - GOP ends 12 year losing streak in Nevada Senate race - November 7, 2000". www.cnn.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
