Why should you care if you’re not located in one of the states that has a retiring Senator? The Senate is currently controlled by the Republican Party; 54 Republicans, 44 Democrats, and 2 Independents. 2016 could change the control in the Senate from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
This is the first blog post of one of the five senatorial races after the state’s primary election. In this post, we are going to cover Harry Reid’s seat. Senator Reid has served in some capacity in Congress since 1983, first as a Representative (1983-1986) and then as a Senator (1987-present). He is currently the Senate’s Minority Leader and serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence. Senator Reid has decided to retire.
There were eighteen candidates seeking Senator Reid’s seat before the primary that was held on June 14th. Now, for the major parties, that field is down to two candidates: Democrat Catherine Masto and Republican Joe Heck. This post will cover both of them along with all of the third party candidates. Each candidate’s name will link to their Vote Smart profile so you, the voter, can further research your candidates to make a more informed vote at the general election on November 8th.
The Democratic Party is being represented by Catherine Masto. Masto is the former Attorney General for Nevada and served from 2007 to 2014. In 1990, she received her JD from Gonzaga University School of Law. Masto has been endorsed by a number of interest groups, some of which include Emily’s List, the League of Conservation Voters, and Democracy for America.
The Republican Party is being representative by Joe Heck. Heck is currently a US Representative and has served as a member of Congress since 2010. Prior to that, he was a Nevada state Senator for four years. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Heck has been endorsed by Combat Veterans for America and has received ratings from many different organizations from over the years.
There are a number of third party candidates also seeking this senate seat: four with no party affiliation and one Independent American.
The Independent American candidate is Tom Jones. Jones is the Chair of Clark County’s Independent American Party and has held this position since 2012. He attended John Carroll University.
Tom Sawyer has an Associates degree in Applied Sciences. He has made his life working in the railroad industry after having served in the United States Army. Sawyer completed our Political Courage Test this election cycle!
Tony Gumina served in the United States Navy and is currently a medical practitioner. If you want to know more about Gumina’s positions, check out his public statements page.
Jarrod Williams has an AA from Truckee Meadows Community College and is currently a court services support supervisor for the state of Nevada and has served in this capacity since 2014. Williams completed our Political Courage Test this election cycle!
G.A. Villa is also running for this position. Unfortunately, Villa does not have a web presence. However, Villa has also completed our Political Courage Test this election cycle.
To get an idea how you stand on the issues in comparison to the candidates, check out Nevada’s VoteEasy!
The next post of this series will revolve around Senator Dan Coats’ seat of Indiana. Stay tuned!
This post was written by staff member, Jamie
This post was written by staff member, Jamie
Willett;
Vote Smart Database Specialist
.
