Long-shot Libertarian Candidate Loses, Hands Democrats Super Majority in Nevada Assembly

After a failed Republican run for Congressional District 3 in 2020 (losing in the Republican primary to Dan Rodimer), “television personality” Mindy Robinson tried to hone her political chops as a Libertarian candidate and run for Assembly District 35. Her challengers were two-term incumbent Democrat Michelle Gorlow and Republican Tiffany Jones.

In a report by The Las Vegas Review Journal:

Gorelow served as a member of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee during the 2021 legislative session. She had been endorsed by labor unions representing casino-resort employees, teachers, electrical workers and police officers, according to her campaign website.

She represents a competitive district; according to statistics compiled by the Nevada secretary of state, Democrats only lead Republicans in active voter registration by 1,415 people as of August.

But Gorelow’s two challengers may split the GOP share of the vote.

Splitting the vote was a rather generous prediction as Robinson garnered a whopping 920 total votes of the 25,170 votes cast. Her failed attempt gave Democrats a supermajority in the Assembly as Jones lost to Gorlow by only 382 votes.

Robinson told the Review Journal: “I actually hate politicians,” adding she feels Nevada is “set up for failure politically.”

Robinson, in part, is correct. Long-shot candidates who fail to garner widespread support and build a campaign war chest needed to defeat a ballot-harvesting-union-backed incumbent, will fail politically.

Yet, Nevada Democrats didn’t fail politically as they have held a legislative majority since 2016. During the pandemic, they passed legislation that fundamentally transformed the state’s election laws which legalized unlimited ballot harvesting, universal mail in voting, same day registration and voting, and expanded the deadlines to accept ballots and certify elections. Nevada Democrats also redistricted the state to ensure a Democratic advantage.

Unless the Libertarian or Republican party in Nevada raises the money and resources needed to play by these new controversial rules, the chances of Democrats losing their legislative majority are similar to the chances Robinson had of flipping Assembly District 35–slim to none.