- Steven Horsford (D-NV) represents Nevada's 4th Congressional District, covering suburban Las Vegas (North Las Vegas, Henderson) — a Biden +5 district he has held since winning it in 2022.
- NV-4 is rated Lean Democratic — a diverse suburban district with a large Black and Latino population, and Horsford was the first Black Democrat elected to Congress from Nevada when he won in 2012.
- He chairs the Congressional Black Caucus and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee — a prominent position that lets him work on tax policy and healthcare finance issues affecting his working-class district.
- Horsford previously served as Nevada State Senate Majority Leader before his congressional career — his experience in legislative leadership positions him as one of the more influential members of the Democratic caucus.
Biography
Steven Horsford grew up in Las Vegas and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned his degree. He built a career in public policy and workforce development before entering electoral politics, working for the Nevada Partners nonprofit organization focused on economic opportunity for underserved communities in North Las Vegas. He was elected to the Nevada State Senate in 2004 and rose to become the first Black majority leader in the Nevada Senate’s history — a position he held while the legislature passed significant legislation during the Obama era.
He was first elected to Congress in 2012 when Nevada’s 4th district was created as a new seat following the 2010 census. His 2012 win made him the first Black person ever elected to Congress from Nevada. He served one term but lost re-election in the 2014 Republican wave to Republican Rudy Cresanti. After four years outside Congress, he returned to run in 2018 and won back the seat, then has been re-elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
Horsford serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, trade, Social Security, Medicare, and the country’s revenue streams — one of the most influential committee assignments in the House. He has also been active in the Congressional Black Caucus and in Democratic Party political organizing. His Culinary Union ties, his North Las Vegas base, and his Ways and Means seat give him significant political resources heading into future cycles.
Key Policy Positions
Tax Policy & Economic Equity
Through his Ways and Means Committee seat, Horsford has been an active voice on tax policy, pushing for a tax code that better serves working families and reduces inequality. He has supported the Child Tax Credit expansions in the American Rescue Plan, which significantly reduced child poverty, and has advocated for their permanent extension. He has opposed tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and has been outspoken on the need for progressive tax reform as a tool for addressing economic inequality in communities like North Las Vegas.
Labor & Workers’ Rights
Horsford’s political foundation is built on the Las Vegas labor movement, particularly the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents the hospitality workers who power Nevada’s dominant tourism economy. He has been a consistent supporter of union organizing rights, collective bargaining protections, and minimum wage increases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when Nevada’s hospitality sector was devastated, he was a vocal advocate for emergency relief for hospitality workers and small businesses in the Las Vegas area.
Healthcare & Social Safety Net
NV-4’s population includes many working-class families who depend on Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace subsidies, and other federal health programs. Horsford has been a strong defender of the ACA and opponent of efforts to repeal or weaken it, and has supported Medicaid in Nevada. His Ways and Means role gives him direct influence over Medicare and Social Security policy — critical issues for Nevada’s large retiree population and for the working-age families who will depend on these programs in the future.
NV-4 Election History: A Seat Won, Lost, and Won Back
| Year | Democratic Candidate | Republican Candidate | D% | R% | Margin | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Horsford | Cresanti | 50.1% | 42.4% | D+7.7 | Horsford wins (historic first) |
| 2014 | Horsford | Cresanti | 43.5% | 50.2% | R+6.7 | Horsford loses (R wave) |
| 2018 | Horsford | Hardy | 52.6% | 42.0% | D+10.6 | Horsford returns to Congress |
| 2020 | Horsford | Mack | 53.9% | 42.4% | D+11.5 | Horsford re-elected |
| 2022 | Horsford | Leavitt | 52.7% | 44.3% | D+8.4 | Horsford re-elected |
| 2024 | Horsford | Gastelum | 52% | 44% | D+~8 | Horsford re-elected |
| 2026 | Horsford (expected) | TBD | — | — | Lean D | — |
Nevada Political Context
NV-4 covers North Las Vegas and the northern portions of the Las Vegas metropolitan area, extending into rural Nevada counties that stretch toward Utah and Arizona. The urban core of North Las Vegas is heavily working-class and multiracial, with a large African American population and significant Latino and Asian communities. The district’s competitive character reflects the tension between the Democratic-leaning urban Las Vegas suburbs and the more Republican rural counties that make up the geographic majority of its territory while contributing far fewer votes.
More to Explore
Watch: Congressman Horsford Speaks on Lower Prescription Costs for Nevada Families
External resources: Steven Horsford on Wikipedia — Steven Horsford on Ballotpedia