The 2002 Nevada gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican governor Kenny Guinn defeated Democratic nominee and Nevada State Senator Joe Neal in a landslide to win a second term.

This was the most recent Nevada gubernatorial election in which both major party candidates are now deceased, and was the first time since 1954 that an incumbent Republican Governor of Nevada was re-elected.

Republican primary Candidates Kenny Guinn, incumbent governor of Nevada Shirley Cook, retired court reporter Bruce Westcott, businessman Bill Hiett, rancher Stan Lusak, retired janitor and postal employee James K. Prevot Carlo Poliak, perennial candidate

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Joe Neal, Nevada Senator and candidate in 1998 Barbara Scott, public accountant Dan Meyer Christopher J. Petrella, veteran

Results

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political Report October 31, 2002Sabato's Crystal Ball November 4, 2002

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin KennyGuinn (R) JoeNeal (D) Other /UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSA October 27–29, 2002 523 (LV) ± 4.4% 63% 28% 9%

Results

County results County Kenny GuinnRepublican Joe NealDemocratic None of These Candidates Dick GeyerLibertarian David G. HolmgrenIndependent American Jerry L. NortonIndependent Charles LawsGreen Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %Carson City12,05169.77%3,44819.96%9985.78%2681.55%2011.16%1420.82%1640.95%8,60349.81%17,272Churchill5,86779.54%95212.91%1862.52%871.18%1902.58%700.95%240.33%4,91566.64%7,376Clark200,15765.20%74,37824.23%17,2405.62%5,0961.66%3,7411.22%3,8431.25%2,5480.83%125,77940.97%307,003Douglas12,97777.44%2,52015.04%4822.88%2431.45%2171.29%1360.81%1831.09%10,45762.40%16,758Elko8,56877.62%1,38612.56%3282.97%2692.44%2872.60%1271.15%730.66%7,18265.07%11,038Esmeralda28665.15%8719.82%235.24%122.73%245.47%40.91%30.68%19945.33%439Eureka52576.42%8512.37%344.95%121.75%172.47%91.31%50.73%44064.05%687Humboldt3,44680.01%52212.12%1483.44%571.32%691.60%451.04%200.46%2,92467.89%4,307Lander1,50380.68%23112.40%502.68%241.29%311.66%180.97%60.32%1,27268.28%1,863Lincoln1,26673.09%27916.11%603.46%331.91%583.35%261.50%100.58%98756.99%1,732Lyon8,16975.00%1,79616.49%3603.31%1511.39%2001.84%1141.05%1020.94%6,37358.51%10,892Mineral1,29063.48%50825.00%643.15%231.13%1125.51%190.94%160.79%78238.48%2,032Nye7,34968.18%2,22620.65%4283.97%2252.09%3503.25%1341.24%670.62%5,12347.53%10,779Pershing1,25475.18%23614.15%694.14%241.44%513.06%241.44%100.60%1,01861.03%1,668Storey1,19872.69%30018.20%563.40%432.61%171.03%110.67%231.40%89854.49%1,648Washoe76,05972.05%21,24420.13%3,0252.87%1,5041.42%1,4431.37%7830.74%1,5021.42%54,81551.93%105,560White Pine2,03667.31%73724.36%1234.07%331.09%391.29%381.26%190.63%1,29942.94%3,025Totals344,00168.24%110,93522.01%23,6744.70%8,1041.61%7,0471.40%5,5431.10%4,7750.98%233,06646.24%504,079

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Mineral (largest municipality: Hawthorne)

Notes

References