Brian Edward Sandoval is an American politician, academic administrator, and former federal judge who served as the 29th Governor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019.
33 Facts About Brian Sandoval
2.
Brian Sandoval defeated incumbent governor Jim Gibbons for the Republican nomination and later defeated Democratic nominee Rory Reid in the general election.
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Brian Sandoval was re-elected in 2014, defeating Democrat Bob Goodman in the state's largest electoral landslide.
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Brian Sandoval was barred by term limits from running for a third term in 2018.
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Since October 2020, Brian Sandoval has served as the 17th president of the University of Nevada, Reno.
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Brian Sandoval attended Reno's Little Flower School and graduated from Bishop Manogue High School in Reno in 1981; he attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
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Brian Sandoval earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and economics in 1986.
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Brian Sandoval then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1989.
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Brian Sandoval passed the Nevada and California bar exams and entered private practice with several Reno law firms.
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When incumbent Republican Jim Gibbons decided to retire to run for Governor of Nevada in 1994, Brian Sandoval ran for the Reno-based 25th District of the Nevada Assembly.
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Brian Sandoval won the open seat and won re-election in 1996.
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Brian Sandoval served on the Judiciary, Taxation and Natural Resources Committees.
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In 1998, Brian Sandoval was appointed to serve as a member of the Gaming Commission of Nevada, which oversees the state's gaming industry.
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Brian Sandoval then received his judicial commission on October 26,2005.
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Brian Sandoval announced his resignation as Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada on August 15,2009, to become effective beginning September 15,2009.
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On June 9,2010, on the Republican primary, Brian Sandoval defeated incumbent Governor Jim Gibbons.
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Brian Sandoval won every county in the state, and all with a majority except Clark County, where Las Vegas is the county seat, which Sandoval won with a plurality.
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Brian Sandoval turned down a pay raise that would have increased his salary from $141,000 to $149,573 per year.
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Brian Sandoval appointed US Congressman Dean Heller to become US Senator, after the seat become vacant from the resignation of John Ensign.
20.
On September 11,2014, Brian Sandoval signed a package bill to provide $1.3 billion in tax breaks and subsidies over 20 years for Tesla Motors in exchange for building the massive Gigafactory 1 battery factory in the state, near Reno.
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In June 2015, Brian Sandoval signed several bills designed to overhaul Nevada's education system.
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Brian Sandoval is widely regarded as a moderate Republican, supporting abortion, Obamacare, immigration reform, and renewable energy.
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Brian Sandoval was suggested by Senator Harry Reid as a potential nominee to fill the seat of deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, given his judicial experience as well as his moderate reputation; however, Brian Sandoval quickly withdrew himself from consideration.
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On March 21,2016, Brian Sandoval met with Mark Davis, owner of the NFL's Oakland Raiders, about moving the Raiders to Las Vegas, Nevada.
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On October 14,2016, Brian Sandoval signed a bill that would provide $750 million in public funding for Allegiant Stadium which would open four years for the Raiders and the UNLV Rebels football program.
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On July 12,2016, Brian Sandoval launched a comprehensive review of Nevada's juvenile justice system and established the Statewide Juvenile Justice Improvement Task Force.
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On May 17,2017, Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 201, which would ban psychotherapists from performing conversion therapy on minors.
28.
Brian Sandoval came under criticism in 2015 by the rooftop solar industry in Nevada after claims that the Governor failed to act on a statewide net energy metering cap of 235MW.
29.
In December 2015, a solar company operating in Nevada filed a lawsuit against Governor Brian Sandoval to compel the release of public records the Governor's office withheld.
30.
On September 17,2020, Brian Sandoval was named as UNR's 17th president.
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Brian Sandoval is considered an unusual choice because his background does not include any experience in higher education administration.
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Brian Sandoval is the first Hispanic president of the university.
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Brian Sandoval remarried to Las Vegas gaming executive Lauralyn McCarthy on August 11,2018.