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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Has a nonpartisan candidate ever won a partisan race in modern Nevada history?

Kiara Adams, The Nevada Independent
no

In Nevada, state election records show that no independent candidate has ever won a partisan race dating back to at least 1962.

Notably, independent Ross Perot won 26.2 percent of the vote in Nevada in the 1992 presidential election. George H. W. Bush won the state with 37.4 percent of the vote.

Nonpartisan candidates don’t appear on primary ballots in Nevada and advance automatically to  general election ballots.

As of September 2025 data, independent voters make up Nevada’s largest voting bloc at 37 percent, with Republicans coming in at 27.5 percent and Democrats at 27.8 percent.

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The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

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