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Nevada lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014
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June 10, 2014 |
November 4, 2014 |
Mark Hutchinson |
Brian Krolicki |
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Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General Down Ballot Treasurer, Controller |
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The Nevada lieutenant gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Brian Krolicki (R) was first elected in 2006 and was not eligible to seek re-election due to term limits. The race to replace Krolick included Lucy Flores (D), Mark Hutchison (R) and Mike Little (I). Hutchison won election to a four-year term.
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.[1][2]
The Nevada lieutenant gubernatorial race drew national attention to the state after Labor Day. U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) campaigned for Hutchison, with hopes of freeing up Gov. Brian Sandoval for a 2016 challenge to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid attracted donors and campaign aides for the Democratic candidate in the race, state Rep. Lucy Flores.[3] To read more about the implications of this race, check out our race background and debates sections.
Candidates
General election
Mark Hutchison
Lucy Flores[5]
Mike Little[6]
Term-limited
Brian Krolicki - Incumbent
Defeated in primary
Sue Lowden[7]
Chris Dyer[6]
Harley Kulkin[6]
Results
General election
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mark Hutchison |
59.5% | 324,443 | |
| Democratic | Lucy Flores | 33.6% | 183,571 | |
| Independent American | Mike Little | 3.9% | 21,221 | |
| Independent | None of these candidates | 3% | 16,298 | |
| Total Votes | 545,533 | |||
| Election results via Nevada Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
Republican primary
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Mark Hutchison |
53.8% | 62,939 | ||
| Sue Lowden | 36.1% | 42,290 | ||
| Chris Dyer | 5.8% | 6,824 | ||
| None of these candidates | 4.3% | 5,011 | ||
| Total Votes | 117,064 | |||
| Election results via Nevada Secretary of State. | ||||
Democratic primary
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, Democratic Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Lucy Flores |
71.5% | 52,324 | ||
| None of these candidates | 15.7% | 11,515 | ||
| Harley Kulkin | 12.8% | 9,368 | ||
| Total Votes | 73,207 | |||
| Election results via Nevada Secretary of State. | ||||
Race background
The Nevada lieutenant gubernatorial race was identified as one of the more competitive elections in 2014 by The Washington Post and National Journal.[8][9] In the past, only seven of the 34 former lieutenant governors moved into the top position of governor. In 2016, Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, was up for re-election, and Brian Sandoval, who won re-election as Governor of Nevada in the 2014 election, could have been encouraged to run against Reid in 2016 due to Hutchison's victory. Article 5, Section 18 of the Nevada Constitution addressing vacancies states that the lieutenant governor replaces the governor in case of death or resignation.[10]
Debates
Debate: October 15, 2014
Lucy Flores (D) and Mark Hutchison (R) discussed ethics, education reform and taxes during a debate hosted by Vegas PBS. Flores criticized Hutchison for failing to report a $15,000 trip to Israel sponsored by the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee. This point was mentioned in response to Hutchison's criticism of Flores for failing to report her use of campaign funds for personal expenses. Hutchison also noted that Flores participated in the Israel trip and he was not found guilty of breaking state campaign finance laws.[11]
Hutchison criticized Flores's record on education in the Nevada State Legislature. The Republican candidate indicated that Flores voted against an education proposal that he stated would provide flexibility for families to switch from public schools to charter schools as well as a $2 million proposal to hire Teach for America teachers for struggling schools. Flores said the Republican-led proposals were insufficient to deal with the state's education issues and called for further public education funding.[11]
The debate also included discussion about the candidates' support for Question 3, a statewide ballot measure that would add a 2 percent margin tax on businesses to benefit education. Both candidates expressed opposition to Question 3 due to the potential impacts on businesses. Flores alleged that Hutchison originally supported the measure in 2013 but switched his views on Question 3 to win statewide office. Hutchison said that Flores and other state Democrats had not been effective on tax issues, arguing that economic growth is a better tool for government funding rather than higher taxes.[11]
Debate: September 3, 2014
Flores and Hutchison debated education funding, immigration and same-sex marriage during a debate hosted by Hispanics in Politics. Flores criticized Gov. Sandoval and state Republicans for failing to restore $1 billion in school funding cut during the recent recession. She also voiced opposition to school vouchers, arguing that vouchers would not improve education outcomes. Hutchison countered that legislators increased education spending by $500 million in 2013, while noting that additional funds should be tied to changes in teacher assessment. He also supported school vouchers to improve outcomes for low-income students.[12]
A discussion of immigration policy started with consensus over the need for comprehensive reform at the national level. Hutchison cited his work with Democrats in the state Senate on driver's permits for immigrants and restrictions on notarios, or dishonest immigration brokers. He criticized President Barack Obama for using executive orders to halt deportations rather than pursuing congressional action. Hutchison's responses followed questions by Flores over the sincerity of his support for comprehensive reform.[12]
Flores expressed support for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Nevada, saying there was a potential windfall for state tourism. Hutchison referred to his Mormon beliefs in opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage. He added that while he could not support marriage, he opposed social discrimination of same-sex couples.[12]
Polls
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Mark Hutchison (R) | Lucy Flores (D) | Mike Little (I) | Undecided/None of these candidates | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| SurveyUSA September 29-October 1, 2014 | 47% | 35% | 6% | 12% | +/-4.2 | 569 | |||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Past elections
Margin of victory analysis
The average margin of victory in the past three races for lieutenant governor was 10.7 percent. The smallest margin of victory was 9.4 percent in 2010, while the largest margin of victory was 12.6 percent in 2006. Vote shares for third-party candidates have averaged 3.7 percent since 2002, while the "None of these candidates" ballot line has averaged 3.4 percent. The following chart compares the margin of victory for winners of lieutenant governor races with the margin of victory for candidates who won the most votes for the top race on the ballot:[13]
| Margin of victory analysis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Lt. gov. candidate margin of victory (%) | Party of winning candidate | Top race on ballot | Party of winning candidate | Margin of victory (%) | |
| 2010 | 9.4 | Governor of Nevada | 11.8 | |||
| 2006 | 12.6 | Governor of Nevada | 4 | |||
| 2002 | 10.2 | Governor of Nevada | 46.2 | |||
2010
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Brian Krolicki Incumbent |
51.3% | 360,590 | |
| Democratic | Jessica Sferrazza | 41.9% | 294,564 | |
| Independent American | Ryan Fitzgibbons | 3.7% | 26,306 | |
| Nonpartisan | None of these candidates | 3.1% | 22,035 | |
| Total Votes | 703,495 | |||
| Election results via Nevada Secretary of State | ||||
2006
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Brian Krolicki |
52.2% | 301,258 | |
| Democratic | Robert "Bob" Unger | 39.6% | 228,521 | |
| Independent American | Thomas Jefferson | 4.4% | 25,406 | |
| Nonpartisan | None of these candidates | 3.7% | 21,531 | |
| Total Votes | 576,716 | |||
| Election results via Nevada Secretary of State | ||||
2002
| Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Lorraine Hunt Incumbent |
51.8% | 260,768 | |
| Democratic | Erin Kenny | 41.6% | 209,300 | |
| Nonpartisan | None of these candidates | 3.4% | 17,118 | |
| Libertarian | William Oswald | 1.8% | 9,171 | |
| Independent American | Merritt Yochum | 1.3% | 6,609 | |
| Total Votes | 502,966 | |||
| Election results via Nevada Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign finance
Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $4,451,263 during the election. This information was last updated on March 23, 2015.[14]
| Campaign Contribution Totals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| Mark Hutchinson |
Nevada Lieutenant Governor | $2,854,192 | ||
| Lucy Flores |
Nevada Lieutenant Governor | $911,463 | ||
| Sue Lowden |
Nevada Lieutenant Governor | $685,108 | ||
| Harley Kulkin |
Nevada Lieutenant Governor | $500 | ||
| Chris Dyer |
Nevada Lieutenant Governor | $0 | ||
| Mike Little |
Nevada Lieutenant Governor | $0 | ||
| Grand Total Raised | $4,451,263 | |||
Key deadlines
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| January 6, 2014 | First day of candidate filing |
| January 17, 2014 | Last day of candidate filing |
| July 10, 2014 | Primary election |
| November 4, 2014 | General election |
| November 25, 2014 | Certification of election results |
| January 5, 2015 | Inauguration day for state executive officials |
Ballotpedia reports
To learn more about developments in this race, check out the following news articles from Ballotpedia:
- "None of these candidates" wins its first election in 38 years: Nevada state executive primary review
- Nevada filing deadline report: 6 state executive positions up for election
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Nevada + lieutenant + gubernatorial + election + 2014"
See also
- Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
- Nevada state executive official elections, 2014
- State executive official elections, 2014
- State executive debates, 2014
- Preview of 2014's most competitive down ballot state executive races
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Why senior Republican senators are showing up for a lieutenant governor’s race in Nevada," September 11, 2014
- ↑ News 4, Hutchison to run for Nevada lieutenant governor, July 8, 2013
- ↑ RGJ, Democrats' lieutenant governor candidate Flores is young and ambitious; Is her goal to become first Latina governor of Nevada? February 20, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Nevada Secretary of State, 2014 Filed Candidates, Accessed March 17, 2014
- ↑ Mohave Daily News, Lowden to Run for Office, August 5, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Summer is almost over. Here’s what you should read to get ready for the elections this fall," August 30, 2014
- ↑ The 10 Midterm Races That Matter for 2016," September 4, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, The most important race you’ve never heard of, August 21, 2013
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Status quo isn't popular at lieutenant governor's debate," October 15, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Nevada lieutenant governor candidates clash in Vegas," September 3, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed September 23, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Overview of Nevada 2014 elections," accessed March 27, 2015
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