Steven Horsford
Steven Horsford, a Democrat who has represented Nevada's 4th congressional district since 2019 and chaired the Congressional Black Caucus from 2023 to 2025, faces Republican Cody Whipple in his 2026 bid for reelection.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- April 29, 1973
- Birthplace
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Education
- Ed W. Clark High School
University of Nevada, Reno (2014)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Steven Horsford, whose full name is Steven Alexzander Horsford, was born on April 29, 1973, and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His mother, Pamela Horsford, came to the U.S. from Trinidad in her teens.
While attending Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas, he worked at Pizza Hut and at a veterinarian's office. Horsford studied political science and communications at the University of Nevada, Reno, and temporarily returned home after his father, Gary Shelton, was killed when Horsford was 19.
He received a degree from the university in 2014.
Career
Horsford began working at R&R Partners in Las Vegas in 1996 and was chief executive of the Culinary Training Academy, a job training program.
In 2004 he won the 4th district seat in the Nevada Senate after incumbent Joe Neal retired, defeating Republican Mabel Florence Lucier, 72% to 28%, and he served from 2005 to 2013.
He became majority leader in February 2009, at age 35 the youngest person to lead the chamber and its first African American leader, and chaired the Senate Finance Committee in his last session.
In 2012 Horsford ran in the newly created 4th congressional district and defeated Republican Danny Tarkanian, 50% to 42%, becoming the first African American to represent Nevada in Congress.
He lost narrowly in 2014 to Republican Cresent Hardy, then won the seat back in 2018 after incumbent Ruben Kihuen declined to seek a second term, defeating Hardy in a rematch. He was reelected in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Horsford served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2023 to 2025 and sits on the Committee on Ways and Means.
2026 race
Steven Horsford is seeking reelection in Nevada's 4th congressional district, which covers parts of northern Las Vegas, including the Las Vegas Strip, along with its northern suburbs and rural central Nevada. He won 52.7% of the vote there in 2024 and is again the Democratic nominee. His Republican opponent in the general election on November 3, 2026, is Cody Whipple, a telecommunications business owner who won the Republican primary with 61.8% of the vote.