Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval kisses his daughter Marisa during a victory speech with his wife Kathleen Sandoval and daughter Maddy, left, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Las Vegas. Sandoval defeated Bob Goodman for governor of Nevada. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Secretary of State Ross Miller conceded a narrow loss to Republican Adam Laxalt, ending the most exciting and expensive statewide contest on the ballot.
An estimated $5 million in airtime was spent in an ugly TV commercial fight between Miller and Laxalt, a first-time Republican candidate and former Navy judge advocate general. Miller criticized Laxalt for inexperience and a job review that referred to him as a “trainwreck,” while Laxalt panned Miller for accepting some $70,000 of gifts while in office.
Adding to the intrigue were the candidates’ family trees — Miller is son of a former Nevada governor, and Laxalt is grandson of a former governor and U.S. senator. Internal family disputes bubbled to the surface in October when seven family members with the last name Laxalt wrote a letter to the editor in the Las Vegas Sun calling Miller the most qualified candidate.
With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Laxalt was leading Miller by a 46-45 percent magin. Miller was trailing by 4,868 votes.