NEVADA
     Nov. 6, 2018 U.S. Senate

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+Jacky Rosen (D)
490,071
50.41%
Dean Heller (R) i
441,202
45.38%
NOTC
15,303
1.57%
Barry Michaels (NPP)
9,269
0.95%
Tim Hagan (L)
9,196
0.95%
Kamau Bakari (IAP)
7,091
0.73%

972,132

Active Registered Voters: 1,564,066.  Total Turnout: 975,980.
Plurality: 48,869 votes (5.03 percentage points).

 NV Secretary of State



DEMOCRATIC PICK-UP
Notes: 
Democrats hoped for and achieved a pick up in Nevada, where freshman U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) challenged Sen. Dean Heller (R).  Also on the ballot were Kamau Bakari (IAP), Tim Hagan (L) and Barry Michaels (NPP).

Democrats sought to tie Heller to President Trump much as they tied the 2016 Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Joe Heck, with candidate Trump.  (Heck lost to Catherine Cortez Masto (D) by 47.10% to 44.67%, while Trump lost to Clinton in Nevada by 47.92% to 45.50%). 

Heller aligned himself closely with Trump to the extent that Jon Ralston opined that,
"
Heller’s Velcroing himself to Trump is a pathetic act of political opportunism..."  Trump reciprocated Heller's support, making at three appearances in Nevada, on June 23 (Las Vegas), Sept. 20 (Las Vegas) and Oct. 20 (Elko) (+).

Flash back to 2017: Heller was one of the senators targeted by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon as not being sufficiently loyal to Trump.  Danny Tarkanian announced on Aug. 8, 2017 that he would challenge Heller, but following a Mar. 16, 2018 tweet from Trump, Tarkanian switched to running for Congress.  ("It would be great for the Republican Party of Nevada, and it’s unity if good guy Danny Tarkanian would run for Congress and Dean Heller, who is doing a really good job, could run for Senate unopposed!.")

There was only one televised debate between the two major party candidates: Heller and Rosen met on Oct. 19 in Las Vegas in a debate hosted by KLAS-TV (>)
.

This was the fourth most expensive Senate race of the 2018 cycle; according to the Center for Responsive Politics a total of $106.1 million was spent, $40.2 million by the campaigns and $65.8 million by outside groups (>).  Also, the Wesleyan Media Project reported that through Oct. 25 the Las Vegas media market saw the second most airings of Senate ads (after Indianapolis) and was also number two ("a close second" to Orlando) in ad airings in federal and gubernatorial races."  (The ratio of ads in the Senate race to the governor's race was 3:2).


Campaign Managers:
Jacky Rosen:  Danny Kazin
(June 2017)  Western region political director at the DCCC in the 2016 cycle.  Campaign manager on U.S. Rep. Ami Bera's 2014 re-election campaign in CA-7.  Campaign manager on Thomas Suozzi's run for Nassau County executive, 2013.


Dean Heller:  Edgar "Mac" Abrams
Chief of staff to Heller since he started in Congress in Jan. 2007; he also managed Heller's 2012 campaign
. Communications director to U.S. Sen. David Vitter (LA), Jan. 2005-Jan. 2007.  Press secretary to U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery (LA), Oct. 2000-Dec. 2004.  Communications director (1998-99) and legislative staff (1997) for U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson (AR).  Special assistant to the co-chair at the RNC, 1996-97.  B.S. in political science and history from UNC Chapel Hill, 1995.  From North Carolina.

Note: Jon Ralston writes, "Mike Slanker calls the shots." 
Slanker is partner and founder of November Inc..  He served as political director of the NRSC in the 2008 cycle.  He worked on Ensign's 1998, 2000 and 2006 Senate campaigns among many others.  Native of Salem, Ohio.


See also:
Megan Messerly.  "How first-term congresswoman Jacky Rosen defeated incumbent Dean Heller to become Nevada's next U.S. senator."  The Nevada Independent, Nov. 14, 2018.

Jon Ralston.  "Predictions for Tuesday."  The Nevada Independent, Nov. 4, 2018.

Megan Messerly. "Rosen officially announces Senate bid, says Reid encouraged her to run."  The Nevada Independent, July 6, 2017.


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