Nevadans make history November 3, 2026

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -Nevadans like the rest of the country were left in shock after November 3, 2026.

Election results meant some firsts were made in the silver state.

Even though it was not a record turnout mid-term or otherwise, Nevada voters made history one week ago with the first black governor of the state.

”There was no hesitation,” says Fred Lokken, Political Science Professor at Truckee Meadows Community College. “It wasn’t a campaign issue. There wasn’t any code language used. This was a valid candidacy, and it became the choice of the voters. It speaks volumes about the Nevada we’ve become. Because we were the Mississippi of the west decades ago. So, we’ve grown up and I think we need to be proud of the diversity in our government because it does reflect who we are.”

Another history making race-- Nevada CD 2.

Northern Nevada has never sent a democrat from the district to congress. But that tradition was broken as former Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez Thompson took the open seat from Republican David Flippo.

Some have called it the greatest upset in Nevada politics.

“In selecting Teresa, it was because they knew her,” says Lokken. They had heard of her. She was native born. In some cases, they watched her grow up and celebrate her life. In Nevada, that matters.”

For several years now Nevada has always been considered a purple state, meaning it didn’t lean Republican or Democrat. With the Democrats in the majority both congressionally, constitutionally, and legislatively, is the state now in the blue category?

“I’ve argued it was turning blue since 2016,” says Lokken. If the democrats have more stable choice making and work with issues on the voters’ minds the democrats have it in their ability to keep it in the blue column.”

The diversity of Nevada will be a good indicator of just how popular a presidential candidate will fare nationwide.

Lokken says for now Nevada will be an important player when it comes to 2028. We are number two in line for a presidential preference primaries which means residents will see plenty of presidential candidates coming to the Silver State to earn a vote in February of 2028.

“Oh, they’ve already started right?” asks Lokken.

Nevadans have decided that mail-in voting is the way to cast a ballot.

Lokken says it wasn’t always an option.

“The decision to go to mail in balloting during the pandemic was a brilliant one,” says Lokken. “Not only was it the only solution we could have used under those circumstances, but it opened that door. We are engaging the Nevada voter for the first time in history.”

More than 50% of the votes were cast statewide that way, in Washoe County more than 35%. Early voting came in second as the most popular way Nevadans vote followed by same day voting.

Question 7 on the ballot won resoundingly. It will require voters to present identification at the time they cast their ballot. There is a biproduct of Question 7 that may not have been realized until now.

Voter ID is now part of the state constitution. So are mail-in ballots.

Which will make it tough for the feds or anyone else to forbid them.

“Article One of the Constitution says that’s our right,” says Lokken

The “blue wave” cannot be ignored. Most of us think of the senate or congress or even some governorships.

But Lokken says the blue seeped into some unlikely places.

Take for instance the Washoe County Commission.

For the first time in recent or institutional memory-only one Republican is on that governing body.

“When you reach the tippy, tippy toes of the structure like a county commission, that’s impressive,” says Lokken.

“I’ve lived in this county for 35 years first time I am seeing a democratic majority on that commission.”