Introducing the candidates: A look at who's running for Nevada's 4th Congressional District

May 17--Nevada's 4th Congressional District is one of the state's largest districts, covering much of North Las Vegas and a large portion of the state's rural area. It was created in 2013 after redistricting following the 2010 Census.

Incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford, who has held the seat twice, once from 2013 to 2015 and since 2018, will face five challengers in the Democratic primary.

Democrats

Steven Horsford (incumbent)

Horsford has been working on legislation to expand federal aid to small businesses and workforce training programs as a byproduct of the coronavirus pandemic. He has also been pushing for further data reporting from coronavirus deaths that have occurred in nursing home facilities.

"As we navigate this pandemic, we must ensure that the facilities designed to care for our most vulnerable communities, including older Nevadans, are accountable to the communities they serve and the families who have trusted -- or are planning to entrust -- their loved ones to their care," Horsford said in an earlier statement.

Horsford, who sits on the Ways and Means, Budget and Natural Resources committees, endorsed Joe Biden ahead of Nevada's presidential caucuses to signal his approval of mainstream Democratic policies.

George Brucato

Brucato supports a path to citizenship for immigrants. Energy costs, jobs and health care are the biggest challenges facing the country, he said.

Brucato, an engineer, also wants to bring two more military bases to Nevada.

On a Ballotpedia survey, Brucato says he's an advocate for kids, indicating schools in Nevada need improvement and saying family courts need more oversight.

Brucato, who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders for the 2020 presidential nomination, wants to bring more jobs to Nevada, saying he would introduce "bills that would increase spending in all areas that will create 30 million jobs."

Chris Colley

Colley is running because of the Senate's acquittal of President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial. On his campaign site he writes: "All 53 GOP senators are now drowning Congress' Article I constitutional powers in the bathtub. If Congress dies, the U.S. Constitution dies, killing the representation of every person in this country forever."

Colley has said that he will not willingly do media appearances, listen to polls, go to town halls, debate, tweet his view or "even campaign at all" so he would not be beholden to anybody but voters. He said he would also take no money and said supporters could post signs or support if they wish.

Some of his supported positions include reform of the Supreme Court, the abolishment of the Electoral College, increasing taxes on richer Americans and combating climate change.

Gabrielle D'Ayr

D'Ayr, a U.S. Navy veteran, advocates for pushing back on the "military industrial complex's" encroachment on Nevada's federal lands, increasing the minimum wage, restricting money in politics and a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients.

Infrastructure and education needs in Nevada have been neglected and must be tackled, she said. She's the first vice chair of the Clark County Democratic Party.

She's running because "change is coming too slowly and electoral action seems to be dominated by an effort to maintain the status quo."

Jennifer Eason

Eason, who works in human resources, is running on many Democratic socialist positions, including increased taxation on the rich and reforming the nation's health care system.

Eason is in favor of single-payer, government-run health care and calls health care a human right, echoing the sentiment of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.

Eason also backs Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's 2% incremental tax on money gained over $50 million and an increase to a 3% tax for households with over $1 billion.

She called Nevada's 2020 Democratic caucus, won decisively by Sanders, a "referendum on the real pulse of the district."

Gregory Kempton

Kempton is an educator running on many Democratic socialist positions. Originally from New Orleans, he moved to Michigan for college and then to Las Vegas.

Kempton is in favor of single-payer, government-run health care, citing experiences he and his wife have gone through in hospitals to show how unaffordable he says the health care system is.

He also wants to change the educational system by increasing educator pay to attract new workers and by reducing classroom sizes. He wants to reform the immigration system, noting that undocumented immigrants should pay a fine and then be given U.S. citizenship.

He also wants to increase the minimum wage and sick days available to workers.

Republicans

Rosalie Bingham

Bingham is a fourth-generation Nevadan who says she only wants one term in office. She's a "made in America" politician who wants to bring power back to the people and will propose term-limit legislation.

"Let's do things different and stop this dysfunction," she said.

The "fiscally conservative Republican stateswoman" also wants to roll back regulations on mining, agriculture and manufacturing. She also wants to institute "merit" immigration, a system that values immigrants deemed talented or offering perceived value.

The businesswoman operates Regener8tive, an economic boosting company that takes waste and turns it into energy.

Leo Blundo

As a county commissioner in Nye County, Blundo has been vocal in his support of the Yucca Mountain nuclear storage facility. Nye County officials are typically in favor of the proposal, which would be located there, but most Nevadans are vehemently against it.

Blundo touts expanded transparency in hospital billing and decries some of the measures in place in the Affordable Care Act. He uses the Trumpian language of "draining the swamp" and is in line with the Republican Party on issues like abortion and gun rights.

Jim Marchant

Marchant is a past member of the Nevada Assembly and touts his high marks from both the American Conservative Union and the National Rifle Association. He also touts his endorsement from Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies in the House of Representatives.

Marchant supports the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, a bill backed by Trump that cut the tax rate for businesses and individuals. Critics of the bill say it cut corporate tax rates disproportionately.

He also supports mandated voter identification laws and said he would not support any laws restricting gun access.

Charles Navarro

Navarro is a U.S. Navy reservist and a former worker with Hope for Prisoners, a nonprofit that helps prisoners reintegrate to society.

On his campaign site, Navarro explicitly attacks "socialized" medicine as an expensive project that would not see returns. He is also against raising taxes on the wealthy.

He said that Medicare should be reformed to help seniors navigate the process, the immigration system should push back against undocumented immigrant arrivals and the criminal justice system should be reformed to help stop recidivism.

Sam Peters

Peters is an U.S. Air Force veteran and owner of Peters Family Insurance, a risk management firm.

Some of Peters' stances include building a wall at the nation's southern border, ending chain migration, ending late-term abortion, a review of all government expenditures before any changes to the tax code are made and instituting term limits.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich endorsed Peters, calling him a "committed conservative."

"I believe in a free-market society, low taxes, small government, our right to bear arms, everyone's right to individualism and the value of citizenship in the United States," Peters said on Ballotpedia. "Freedom is not easy and care must be taken to prolong it."

Randi Reed

Reed is a small-business owner who has lived in Nevada for about 20 years. Reed and her husband run a custom furniture manufacturing business.

"Over the last two decades, I've had the great privilege of working on numerous landmark projects around our state, serving as an advocate for the construction industry, and working alongside some of our country's leading developers as they accommodate unprecedented growth and forged private and public partnerships that have been of benefit to all Nevadans," Reed said on her campaign website.

Some of Reed's stances include a focus on merit-based immigration and a ban on so-called sanctuary cities; limiting regulations and licensing requirements she said inhibit job growth; pushing school choice; and support for military funding, including the newly formed U.S. Space Force.

Lisa Song Sutton

Sutton, a businesswoman and owner of Sin City Cupcakes, supports merit-based immigration and physical barriers on the southern border "where needed"; no tax increases; an abortion ban except in some circumstances of safety or rape; and calls the nation's "Dependence on overseas manufacturing" dangerous.

Sutton, a former Miss Nevada, has been endorsed by Las Vegas City Council members Victoria Seaman and Michele Fiore, former Nevada GOP chairwoman Amy Tarkanian and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, among others.

Rebecca Wood

Wood is a longtime Las Vegan who says her family connections to the military have informed her desire to enter public service.

Wood does not support red flag laws, calling them unconstitutional; wants to lower taxes and keep the 2017 tax cuts in place; and wants to replace the Affordable Care Act.

She has made her Christianity a central part of her campaign and said Americans should be able to run their businesses along the guidelines of their religion.

"All communities deserve the respect of being served in accordance with their faith, including running a business within accordance of their faith," she wrote on her campaign website. "I will promote true tolerance of religion and work to bring about an acceptance of all faiths."

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