The 2010 United States Senate election in Nevada took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator and Majority Leader Harry Reid won re-election to a fifth and final term, defeating Republican challenger Sharron Angle.

In its analysis of Reid's victory over Angle, Politico reported that the Reid campaign had placed advertisements opposing Angle's main primary opponent, Sue Lowden. The purpose of the ads was to enhance the "polarizing" Angle's chances of winning the Republican nomination.

Despite Angle leading by three points in the polls the days leading up to the election, Reid won by 5.74%, even defeating Angle in her own county, Washoe County. Reid also secured huge numbers out of the Democratic stronghold of Clark County, which covers the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Angle ran for this seat again in 2016 and lost the Republican primary.

Democratic primary The Democratic primary took place on June 8, 2010. Reid won by a large margin over a field of political unknowns.

Candidates Nominee Harry Reid, incumbent U.S. Senator

Defeated in primary Alex Miller Eduardo Hamilton Carlo Poliak, trash collector and perennial candidate

Declined Barbara Buckley, Speaker of the Nevada Assembly

Polling Poll source Dates administered Harry Reid Barbara BuckleyMellman Group (D) June 17–29, 2008 51% 20%

Results

Republican primary The Republican primary also took place on Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

Candidates Nominee Sharron Angle, former state assembly member and candidate for the 2nd district in 2006

Defeated in primary John Chachas, businessman Chad Christensen, state assemblyman Greg Dagani, former member of the Nevada Board of Education Chuck Flume, businessman Sue Lowden, former state senator Mark Noonan, Navy veteran Bill Parson, Marine veteran and businessman Danny Tarkanian, real estate owner

Withdrawn Mark Amodei, state senator Chuck Kozak, attorney dropped out of race Robin L. Titus, physician dropped out of race Mike Wiley, conservative activist dropped out of race

Declined Dean Heller, incumbent U.S. Representative Brian Krolicki, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada Jon Porter, former U.S. Representative

Endorsements

Debates Nevada Primary Senate Candidates Debate, C-SPAN, May 18, 2010

Polling Dates administered Poll source Tarkanian Lowden Angle August 21, 2009Mason Dixon/LVRJMason Dixon/LVJR 33% 14% 5% October 8, 2009PollPoll 21% 23% 9% December 2009Mason Dixon/LVRJ 24% 25% 13% January 7, 2010 28% 26% 13% February 24, 2010Mason Dixon/LVRJMason Dixon/LVJR 29% 47% 8% April 11, 2010Mason Dixon/LVRJMason Dixon/LVJR 27% 45% 5% April 26–28, 2010Research 2000 28% 38% 13% May 13, 2010Mason Dixon/LVRJMason Dixon/LVJR 22% 30% 25% May 28, 2010Mason Dixon/LVRJ 23% 30% 29% May 31 – June 2, 2010Research 2000Research 2000 24% 25% 34% June 2, 2010Suffolk University 26% 24% 33% June 1–3, 2010 24% 23% 32%

Results

General election Candidates Harry Reid (D), incumbent U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader Sharron Angle (R), former member of the Nevada Assembly Scott Ashjian (Tea Party) (campaign site, PVS) Tim Fasano (Independent American) (campaign site, PVS) Michael Haines (Independent) (campaign site, PVS) Jesse Holland (Independent) (campaign site, PVS) Jeffrey Reeves (Independent)Independent reeves4congress.com (campaign site , PVS) Wil Stand (Independent) (PVS)

Campaign In January 2009, the GOP began running an advertisement attacking President Barack Obama's proposed stimulus plan and Reid for his support of the legislation. Since becoming Minority Leader (in 2004), his approval ratings had dropped below 50%. A November 2007 poll showed Reid's approval rating at 39%, with 49% of voters disapproving.KREN.com (story no longer available)

After the primaries, the first poll showed Angle leading by a double-digit margin. CQ Politics changed their analysis of the race from leaning Republican to a toss-up because of Angle's sharply conservative views and tendency to commit verbal gaffes; however, CQ added that if the voters treat the election as a referendum on Reid, then Angle will likely win.

In 2009, Reid had been endorsed by some prominent Nevada Republicans. Immediately after the primary, the Republican mayor of Reno, Bob Cashell, who had backed Lowden in the Republican primary, endorsed Reid for the general election, calling Angle an "ultra-right winger." Other Republicans expressed doubt about supporting Angle, citing her reputation for ideological rigidity from her years in the state legislature.

One of the first general election ads attacked Angle for her stance on Social Security and Medicare. In response, Angle explained that "the government must continue to keep its contract with seniors, who entered into the system on good faith and now are depending on that contract." In response to accusations that she was not mainstream enough for Nevada voters, Angle explained on a KXNT radio show that she was "more mainstream than the fellow that said tourists stink, this war is lost, and light-skinned no-Negro dialect", in reference to comments that had been made by Senator Reid.

In September, Tibi Ellis, the chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Hispanic Caucus, who had been a spokesperson for Angle, criticized an Angle ad related to immigration. Ellis said, "I condemned this type of propaganda, no matter who is running them, where they blame Mexicans as the only problem and where they attack them as the only source of illegal immigration."

On October 7, 2010, Republican State Senator and Minority Leader William Raggio endorsed Reid.Top Nevada GOP lawmaker endorses Harry Reid, AP, Boston Herald, October 8, 2010Top Nevada Republican Endorses Harry Reid, Slams Sharron Angle, Elyse Siegel, HuffPost, October 7, 2010 Dema Guinn, the widow of the late Republican Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn, endorsed Reid on October 8.Reid gets top GOP endorsements, Molly Ball, Politico, October 8, 2010

Endorsements

Debate Angle and Reid only agreed to one debate, in which no other candidate would participate. It was held on October 14. Junior Senator John Ensign played Reid during one day of debate preparation at the Trump Plaza in Las Vegas for Angle.

Polling Graphical summary

Poll sourceDate(s)administeredSamplesizeMargin of errorHarryReid (D)SharronAngle (R)OthersUndecidedRasmussen Reports December 9, 2009 500 (LV) ±4.5% 43% 47% 7% 3% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) January 5–7, 2010 625 (RV) ±4.0% 40% 45% – 15%Rasmussen Reports January 11, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 40% 44%10%7%Rasmussen Reports February 3, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 40% 44%7%8%Rasmussen Reports March 3, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 38% 46%11%5%Rasmussen Reports March 31, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 40% 51% 6% 3%Rasmussen Reports April 27, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 40% 48% 7% 4%Research 2000 (Daily Kos) April 26–28, 2010 600 (LV) ±4.0% 41% 44% 9% 6% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal)Mason Dixon/LVJR May 24–26, 2010 625 (RV) ±4.0% 42% 39% 9% 10%Research 2000 (Daily Kos) May 31 – June 2, 2010 600 (LV) ±4.0% 42% 37% 10% 8% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) June 1–3, 2010 625 (RV) ±4.0% 41% 44% 7% 8%Rasmussen Reports June 9, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 39% 50% 5% 6%Rasmussen Reports June 22, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.5% 41% 48% 8% 2%Rasmussen Reports July 12, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 43% 46% 6% 5% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) July 12–14, 2010 625 (RV) ±4.0% 44% 37% 9% 10%Public Policy Polling July 16–18, 2010 630 (RV) ±3.9% 48% 46% – 6%Rasmussen Reports July 27, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 45% 43% 7% 4% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) July 28–30, 2010 625 (RV) ±4.0% 43% 42% 9% 6%Ipsos (Reuters) July 30–August 1, 2010 462 (LV) ±4.6% 48% 44% 2% 7% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) August 9–11, 2010 625 (RV) ±4.0% 46% 44% 5% 5%Rasmussen Reports August 16, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 47% 47% 5% 2% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) August 23–25, 2010 625 (LV) ±4.0% 45% 44% 6% 5%Rasmussen Reports September 1, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 45% 45% 5% 6% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) September 7–9, 2010 625 (LV) ±4.0% 46% 44% 4% 6%Pulse Opinion Research, (Fox News) September 11, 2010 1,000 (LV) ±3.0% 44% 45% 8% 2%Rasmussen Reports September 13, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 48% 48% 2% 3%Opinion Research (CNN/Time) September 10–14, 2010 789 (LV) ±3.5% 41% 42% 16% 1%Pulse Opinion Research, (Fox News) September 18, 2010 1,000 (LV) ±3.0% 45% 46% 5% 4% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal)LVRJ/Mason-Dixon Sep 2010 September 20–22, 2010 625 (LV) ±4.0%43%43% 6% 8%Public Opinion Strategies (Las Vegas Sun) September 21–23, 2010 500 (LV) ±4.4% 45% 40% 8% 7%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 28, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 48% 47% 4% 1%Pulse Opinion Research, (Fox News) October 2, 2010 1,000 (LV) ±3.0% 46% 49% 5% 0%Magellan Strategies October 4, 2010 1,408 (V) ±2.6% 43% 48% 5% 4%Rasmussen Reports October 5, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 46% 50% 2% 2%Public Policy Polling October 7–9, 2010 504 (LV) ±4.4% 47% 45% 7% 1%Pulse Opinion Research, (Fox News) October 9, 2010 1,000 (LV) ±3.0% 47% 49% 4% 0%Rasmussen Reports October 11, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 48% 49% 1% 2% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) October 11–12, 2010 625 (LV) ±4.0% 45% 47% 4% 4%Rasmussen Reports October 17, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 47% 50% 2% 1%Rasmussen Reports October 25, 2010 750 (LV) ±4.0% 45% 49% 4% 2%Opinion Research (CNN/Time) October 20–26, 2010 773 (LV) ±3.5% 45% 49% 5% 1% Mason-Dixon (Las Vegas Review-Journal) October 25–27, 2010 625 (LV) ±4.0% 45% 49% 3% 3%Pulse Opinion Research, (Fox News)POR October 30 October 30, 2010 1,000 (LV) ±3.0% 45% 48% 7% 0%Public Policy PollingAngle, Reid virtually tied October 30–31, 2010 682 (LV) ±3.8% 46% 47% 6% 1%

Fundraising Candidate (party) Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand Debt Sharron Angle (R) $27,797,915 $27,505,917 $291,999 $635,737 Harry Reid (D) $19,185,317 $22,325,360 $176,309 $419,093 Source: Federal Election Commission

Predictions Reid was initially considered vulnerable, with the non-partisan Cook Political Report rating the election as a tossup and the Rothenberg Political Report rating the state as tossup. A June 9, 2010, Rasmussen Reports post-primary poll showed Angle leading incumbent Senator Harry Reid by a margin of 50% to 39%. However, a July 2010 poll showed Senator Reid leading Angle by 7 points, following nationwide attention to some of Angle's positions, as well as the endorsement of Reid by prominent Republicans. The change of margin, 18% in less than a month, is the largest in Senate elections history. On July 28, 2010, Rasmussen Reports moved the race from tossup to leans Democratic. Later, it moved back to tossup. Polls generally had Angle up, and thus Reid seemed like the underdog. Journalist Jon Ralston correctly predicted Reid would win based on early voting numbers and Reid running a strong campaign. Source Ranking As ofCook Political Report October 26, 2010Rothenberg October 22, 2010Sabato's Crystal Ball October 28, 2010RealClearPolitics October 26, 2010CQ Politics October 26, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010

Results

By county County Reid % Angle % Others %Carson City8,71444.64%9,36247.96%1,4437.39%Churchill2,47327.80%5,63963.40%7838.80%Clark253,61754.41%192,51641.30%20,0304.30%Douglas7,53034.57%12,85859.04%1,3926.39%Elko3,24625.24%8,17363.56%1,44011.20%Esmeralda8020.15%26867.51%4912.34%Eureka13718.05%52469.04%9812.91%Humboldt1,60032.12%2,83656.92%54610.96%Lander48725.60%1,20163.14%21411.25%Lincoln44222.68%1,31167.27%19610.06%Lyon5,65932.39%10,47359.95%1,3397.66%Mineral85544.93%82243.19%22611.88%Nye5,27936.66%7,82254.32%1,2989.01%Pershing59734.39%91552.71%22412.90%Storey84339.50%1,12452.67%1677.83%Washoe70,52349.91%63,31644.81%7,4485.27%White Pine70321.51%2,20167.33%36511.17% Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Carson City Humboldt (largest municipality: Winnemucca) Nye (largest municipality: Pahrump) Pershing (largest municipality: Lovelock) Storey (largest municipality: Virginia City) White Pine (largest municipality: Ely)

Notes

References