Democrats haven’t won the governor’s office since Bob Miller was re-elected in 1994. But GOP incumbent Brian Sandoval is termed-out, and this may be Team Blue’s best chance to flip this seat in a long time.
So far, no Democrats have officially declared. However, Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston writes that Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak is “openly running,” and has millions raised already. State Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford also reportedly openly talks about running, though he also hasn’t made anything official.
The GOP field is also slowly taking shape. Sen. Dean Heller has been mentioned as a possible candidate, and he didn’t rule anything out back in May. Heller is up for re-election in 2018, and if he seeks the governorship, some other potential GOP candidates could decide to seek his seat rather than face him in the primary.
Ralston mentions both Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison and Attorney General Adam Laxalt as potential gubernatorial candidates, and writes that Hutchison "has been running for governor, it seems, since he was sworn in." Ralston also names Steve Hill, the executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, as a possible contender. Last year, Rep. Mark Amodei talked about running for governor if Heller didn't, though he doesn't appear to have said much since then.