2012 United States Senate election in Nevada


The 2012 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, alongside 33 other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and the 2012 presidential election. The primary election was held June 12, 2012. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Dean Heller, who was appointed to his seat in May 2011 following the resignation of Senator John Ensign, was narrowly elected to his first full term over Representative Shelley Berkley. As of, this is the last Senate election a Republican won in Nevada.

Background

Ensign was reelected to the United States Senate in 2006 against Jack Carter, son of former president Jimmy Carter, by a margin of 55–41%. His reelection campaign was expected to be complicated after it was revealed in 2009 that he had been involved in an extramarital affair with the wife of one of his campaign staffers, allegedly made payments to the woman's family and arranged work for her husband to cover himself.
The Senate Ethics Committee was to investigate Ensign, and his poll numbers declined significantly. There was speculation that he might resign before the election, but he initially said he would run for reelection. On March 7, 2011, Ensign announced that he would not seek reelection, and on April 22, he announced that he would resign effective May 3.
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval appointed U.S. Representative Dean Heller to fill the vacancy created by Ensign's resignation. Heller took office on May 9, 2011.

Republican primary

Candidates


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;Primary

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates


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Results

General election

Candidates

  • Shelley Berkley, U.S. Representative
  • Dean Heller, incumbent U.S. Senator
  • David Lory VanDerBeek, therapist

    Debates

The first Berkley-Heller debate was on September 27, 2012. They met again in Las Vegas on October 11 and on Jon Ralston's "Face to Face" program on October 15.
;External links
  • , September 27, 2012 - C-SPAN
  • , October 11, 2012 - C-SPAN

    Fundraising

Top contributors

Shelly BerkleyContributionDean HellerContribution
EMILY's List$93,049Las Vegas Sands$43,750
NORPAC$59,750MGM Resorts International$35,500
MGM Resorts International$53,700Alliance Resource Partners$34,500
DaVita Inc.$49,300Crow Holdings$30,000
Diamond Resorts$44,000Elliott Management Corporation$29,413
Cantor Fitzgerald$27,000Brady Industries$25,000
Caesars Entertainment, Inc.$26,000Mewbourne Oil Co$25,000
Fresenius Medical Care$24,500Wynn Resorts$22,500
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck$23,650Southwest Gas$21,800
Station Casinos$20,200Bank of America$20,500

Top industries

Predictions

Polling


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Results

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