1974 United States Senate election in Nevada
The 1974 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on November 4, 1974. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Alan Bible decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth full term. Republican nominee Paul Laxalt won the open seat.
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 County results Laxalt: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% Reid: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Nevada |
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| None of These Candidates |
Paul Laxalt, former Governor (1967–1971) and former Lieutenant Governor of Nevada (1963–1967), won by less than 700 votes, becoming one of the few bright spots in a bad year for Republicans. He beat Harry Reid, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada since 1971 and former State Assemblyman (1968–1970).
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Laxalt | 79,605 | 46.97% | +1.73% | ||
| Democratic | Harry Reid | 78,981 | 46.60% | -8.16% | ||
| Independent American | Jack C. Doyle | 10,887 | 6.42% | |||
| Majority | 624 | 0.37% | -9.15% | |||
| Turnout | 169,473 | |||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
Bible resigned three weeks early (on December 17, 1974) and on one day later Nevada Democratic Governor Mike O'Callaghan appointed Laxalt to finish out that term. When Laxalt retired in 1986, Harry Reid won the seat that he lost in this election.