Here’s who’s on the ballot in Nevada’s Senate primary. 

From a heavily favored Democratic incumbent to a crowded Republican field, these are the candidates vying for US Senate ahead of November’s general election. 

There’s still time to make your voice heard by casting a vote in Nevada’s statewide primary.

Although the early voting period ends Friday, Election Day is Tuesday, June 11, and folks are able to vote in-person or drop off their mail ballot at any polling location or dropbox in their county. Nevada’s primary elections are closed, meaning that only registered voters of either the Nevada Democratic or Republican parties can vote for candidates running in those parties’ primaries. 

The state allows for same-day voter registration and permits individuals to change their party affiliation at any time. 

MORE: Here’s who’s on the ballot in Nevada’s House primary elections

With that, experts and enthusiasts are keeping a keen eye on Nevada’s US Senate race, which is one of a handful of races nationally that could dictate which party controls the upper chamber. 

Below are short bios of candidates vying for the Senate seat. For information on local races, check your county clerks’ website here. 

US Sen. Jacky Rosen, right, speaks with local media shortly after her speech at the Nevada Legislature in Carson City, Nev., Monday, April 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Gabe Stern)

Democratic Party

• Jacky Rosen (incumbent): Rosen was first elected to the Senate in 2019 after previously representing Nevada’s third congressional district, and is heavily favored to be on November’s ballot. Rosen has provided key votes to help pass many of President Biden’s first-term legislative achievements like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act — which have brought billions in federal investments to Nevada, lowered the cost of drugs for seniors, and helped expand clean energy manufacturing. Rosen has also spent much of her first term working to cut red tape to access federal small business loans, boost veterans benefits, and addressing affordable housing issues.

• Mike Schaefer: Schaefer actually serves on the California Board of Equalization, the state’s tax administration agency, and lives in San Diego, according to The Nevada Independent. A California appeals court ruled in 2000 that candidates running for federal office do not have to reside in the district they’re seeking office for until elected, allowing the 84-year-old former Nevada resident to run in the Silver State. Schaefer maintains he still owns condos in Las Vegas and is a daily reader of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Independent reported in March. 

• Troy Walker: An entrepreneur and life coach, Walker has never held an elected office, according to a questionnaire posted to the nonpartisan candidate information database Ballotpedia. He’s advocating for continued economic growth and bolstering investments in public education. 

FILE – Nevada Republican US Senate candidate Sam Brown speaks to media after voting at Reno High School in Reno, Nev., June 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Tom R. Smedes)

Republican Party

• Sam Brown: Brown, a retired US Army Captain, is the likely Republican frontrunner to appear before voters in November. He’s earned the endorsement and financial backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the official fundraising arm for conservatives in the upper chamber. Brown has never held an elected office, despite runs for US Senate in Nevada in 2022 and the Texas state house in 2014. 

• Jeff Gunter: While polling in the primary has been sparse, Gunter is regarded as the chief competitor to Brown. Gunter is a dermatologist by trade, but was a prolific donor to Trump’s 2016 and inaugural committees, and was named in 2019 as the US Ambassador to Iceland. Gunter is largely self-funding his primary bid and has launched ads in English and Spanish attacking Brown, but it’s unclear whether it’s enough to overcome Brown’s fundraising edge and polling lead. 

• Tony Grady: Grady is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and finished second in the 2022 Republican primary for Nevada Lieutenant Governor. He’s touting his experience working in the Pentagon as someone who can go to Washington and cut frivolous spending while maintaining America’s place as a world superpower. 

• Stephanie Phillips: Phillips is a real estate agent by trade, but has worked hard this campaign cycle to garner a small but dedicated grassroots following. She’s earned endorsements from a few far-right celebrities like rocker Ted Nugent and former Nevada US Rep. Cresent Hardy, but has struggled to turn that support into the resources necessary to challenge Brown and Gunter. 

• Ronda Kennedy: Kennedy has campaigned on her experience as a trial attorney and has sued government agencies over the 2020 election and local mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has held outreach events in Las Vegas’ Historic West Side, a predominantly Black neighborhood that historically skews Democratic, and states on her website she wants to prevent “WOKE ideologies” from taking over schools. 

• Bill Conrad: Conrad, a retired Green Beret, is a conservative activist who resides in Northern Nevada and is a member of the West Point Society, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and National Rifle Association, according to his Ballotpedia page. He previously lived in Modesto, California, and served on its city council and as deputy mayor. 

• Jim Marchant: Marchant is a former state assemblyman and is perhaps one of Trump’s most vocal allies in spreading lies about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. He was the Republican nominee for Nevada Secretary of State in 2022, but lost to Democrat Francisco Aguilar by roughly 23,000 votes, or 2.2 percentage points. 

Third-Party Candidates

• Chris Cunningham (Libertarian Party): Cunningham says on his campaign website that he’s lived in Nevada the last seven years and is an esports organizer. He also says he champions Libertarian policies such as championing free market capitalism, supporting civil liberties, and canning government spending he says is contributing to inflation. 

• Janine Hansen (Independent American Party): Hansen describes herself on her personal website as a citizen advocate of the Nevada legislature, and claims to have been named “Conservative of the year” by the grassroots group Citizen Outreach. Her website also notes efforts to defend the Electoral College and her involvement in a petition initiative to “keep marriage between a man and a woman.”

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