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| Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval | |
|---|---|
| Name | Brian Sandoval |
| Caption | Sandoval in 2015 |
| Birth date | 5 August 1963 |
| Birth place | Reno, Nevada |
| Office | 29th Governor of Nevada |
| Term start | January 3, 2011 |
| Term end | January 7, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Jim Gibbons |
| Successor | Steve Sisolak |
| Party | Republican Party |
| Alma mater | University of Nevada, Reno; University of Southern California Law School |
| Spouse | Alison Sandoval |
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is an American politician, jurist, and legal educator who served as the 29th Governor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Sandoval previously served as a federal prosecutor, Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, and a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. He later became President of the University of Nevada, Reno and has been involved with numerous civic and educational organizations.
Sandoval was born in Reno, Nevada to parents of Mexican and Irish descent and raised in Humboldt County, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada. He attended Carson High School before enrolling at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he played college football and earned a degree in political science. After undergraduate studies he attended University of the Pacific briefly and then obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. During his formative years he was influenced by regional figures and institutions such as Pat McCarran, Paul Laxalt, Harry Reid, and mentors in Nevada legal circles including judges of the Eighth Judicial District Court (Nevada). His early education connected him to networks spanning Washoe County, Nevada, Clark County, Nevada, and statewide political actors.
Sandoval began his legal career as a United States Attorney assistant in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada and later served as the United States Attorney for the District of Nevada under the George W. Bush administration. He prosecuted cases alongside prosecutors connected to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sandoval was appointed to the Eighth Judicial District Court (Nevada) bench and later elected to the Nevada Supreme Court, where he served as Chief Justice. In 2005 he was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, serving until resigning to run for governor. His judicial tenure intersected with federal judges such as Lloyd D. George and state jurists including Michael L. Douglas.
Sandoval's political career includes a term in the Nevada Assembly and a run for Attorney General of Nevada where he served as a statewide elected official. He engaged with major Nevada political figures including John Ensign, Dean Heller, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Brian Krolicki. Sandoval's statewide campaigns involved interactions with national organizations such as the Republican National Committee, the National Rifle Association, and unions like the Culinary Workers Union. His electoral strategy drew comparisons to politicians such as Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George W. Bush, and regional leaders like Kenny Guinn. Campaign endorsements and rivalries connected him to media outlets including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Reno Gazette-Journal, and networks like NBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN.
As governor, Sandoval dealt with statewide issues that connected him to federal entities such as the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through Nevada projects. His administration worked with the Nevada Legislature, including leaders such as Steve Sisolak and Mark Hutchison, on budgets, tax policy, and economic development initiatives involving the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development, and gaming regulators like the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Sandoval presided over economic recovery efforts following the 2008 financial crisis (Great Recession) and pursued higher-education funding tied to institutions such as University of Nevada, Reno, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Southern Nevada, and the Nevada System of Higher Education. He advocated for infrastructure projects connecting Interstate 80 (California–Nevada) and Interstate 15 corridors and supported renewable-energy programs involving companies and agencies such as Tesla, Inc., NV Energy, and the Department of Energy. His tenure addressed public-safety issues with state partners like the Clark County School District, Washoe County School District, and law enforcement agencies including the Clark County Sheriff's Office and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Policy initiatives and controversies during his governorship involved debates with activists and politicians such as Harry Reid, Catherine Cortez Masto, Joe Heck, and Shelby Whitfield. Sandoval's administration engaged on matters of taxation, including interactions with the Nevada Tax Commission, and oversaw responses to federal matters such as litigation involving the United States Department of Justice and tribal governments represented by entities like the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. He appointed judges to state benches and worked with educational leaders such as Daniel Klaich and Kevin Carmichael on higher-education reform.
After leaving office, Sandoval accepted leadership roles in education and civic institutions, most prominently becoming President of the University of Nevada, Reno, succeeding Marc Johnson. He has served on corporate and nonprofit boards including organizations linked to Boyd Gaming Corporation, MGM Resorts International, Google initiatives in rural broadband, and philanthropic groups such as the Nevada Grantmakers Association. Sandoval has participated in national dialogues with figures from Harvard University, Stanford University, Brookings Institution, and the Aspen Institute on topics affecting western states. He has taught and lectured alongside scholars from Georgetown University and Pepperdine University and collaborated with state leaders like Brian Sandoval supporters and critics across the political spectrum.
Sandoval is married to Alison Sandoval, with whom he has three children, and he is active in community organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, local chambers like the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, and civic foundations including the Nevada Community Foundation. His legacy is discussed in relation to figures such as Kenny Guinn, Bob Miller, Jim Gibbons, and Steve Sisolak, and his impact is assessed by commentators at outlets including the Las Vegas Sun, Nevada Appeal, and academic studies from University of Nevada, Reno researchers. Honors and awards he has received connect him to institutions like the Nevada System of Higher Education, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and civic recognitions from counties including Washoe County, Nevada and Clark County, Nevada.
Category: Governors of Nevada Category: People from Reno, Nevada