Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Jauregui announces run for lieutenant governor

Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, shown in this 2023 file photo, is running for lieutenant governor in the 2026 midterm election. Photo by: Sun file photo

Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, is running for lieutenant governor in the 2026 midterm elections, her campaign announced this morning.

Jauregui, who has served in the Nevada Legislature for the past decade, said she would focus on affordable housing, education funding, job creation and public safety in fighting “for a new direction for Nevadans.”

She’s looking to oust Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, a Republican.

“For the last decade, I’ve been fighting on the frontlines for more affordable housing, more investment in our schools, and to create good-paying jobs so more Nevadans can achieve their American Dream. But at every step of the way, Stavros Anthony has been working to block these very policies that would improve Nevadans’ lives,” Jauregui said in a statement.

Jauregui said she would prioritize reviving tourism statewide, addressing the housing crisis by cutting regulations and opposing federal tariffs, lowering healthcare costs by protecting Affordable Care Act coverage, strengthening public education funding, and working with law enforcement on public safety initiatives.

She criticized Anthony’s tenure, saying too many Nevadans are struggling with housing affordability, healthcare costs and job security.

“Under Lt. Governor Anthony’s watch, too many Nevadans are being priced out of their homes, struggling to afford health care, and watching jobs disappear,” she said. “Nevada families deserve a fighter who will roll up her sleeves and deliver results – not someone who stands by while they struggle to get by. I will be the champion for working families and for those who are working to achieve their own American Dream.”

A survivor of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, Jauregui has previously championed gun violence prevention legislation, including bans on bump stocks and red flag laws.

The campaign announced endorsements from U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, and Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis, who chairs the Democratic Lieutenant Governors’ Association.

“Sandra Jauregui has spent her career fighting for Nevadans, from working to lower prescription drug costs and helping Nevadans afford their homes to supporting law enforcement that keeps our communities safe,” Cortez Masto said in a statement. “As our state faces new crises and economic uncertainty, we need leaders who are singularly focused on improving the lives of Nevada families. That’s been Sandra’s mission her whole career and why I’m proud to support her as our next Lt. Governor.”

Rosen called Jauregui “a great advocate for hardworking families in our state legislature,” citing her work on insulin cost caps and housing affordability. “I’m proud to support her as our next Lt. Governor because we need her in Carson City working to deliver for families across our state,” Rosen said.

Jauregui is the daughter of immigrants and began her career working in nonprofit and state housing relief programs, including with the attorney general’s office, her campaign said.

In the Legislature, she helped pass a $2.6 billion investment in Nevada’s education system, including $250 million for teacher salaries, and legislation capping insulin costs, her campaign said. She also sponsored legislation aimed at creating thousands of construction and permanent jobs in Nevada.

Jauregui is the first known Democrat to announce intentions to run.