Steve Sisolak

Stephen F. Sisolak ( SISS-əl-ack; born December 26, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 30th governor of Nevada from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he served on the Clark County Commission from 2009 to 2019 and on the Nevada Board of Regents from 1999 to 2008. As of 2026, Sisolak is the last Democrat to serve as Governor of Nevada, and the only one elected in the 21st century.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sisolak graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Business School. After becoming involved in several civic causes and government projects, he was elected to the Nevada Board of Regents and served from 1999 to 2008. In 2008, he was elected to the Clark County Commission and was reelected in 2012 and 2016. Sisolak served as vice chair of the commission from 2011 to 2013 and as chair from 2013 to 2019.

Sisolak ran for governor of Nevada in 2018. He defeated fellow Clark County commissioner Chris Giunchigliani for the Democratic nomination and then defeated the Republican nominee, attorney general Adam Laxalt, in the general election, becoming the first Democrat to serve as governor of Nevada since Bob Miller left office in 1999. He ran for reelection in 2022, losing to Republican nominee Joe Lombardo in a close race.

Sisolak was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on December 26, 1953. He is the son of Mary and Edward Frank Sisolak (1925-2004). His father was a design engineer for General Motors, and his mother worked at a convenience store. He is of Slovak and Czech descent. His grandfather Vendelín Šisolák (1899-1959) was from Lakšárska Nová Ves.

Sisolak grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and graduated from Wauwatosa West High School in 1972. His first job was as a caddie at Tripoli Country Club at age 13. He was active on the student council and played basketball. He earned a bachelor of science in business from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1974. He moved to Nevada shortly thereafter and earned a master of business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1978.

Sisolak was a partner in the American Distributing Company, a telemarketing venture that sells coffee cups, pens, and various other promotional items to businesses. He also held a partnership in a second company, Associated Industries.

Sisolak ran for the Nevada Senate in the Las Vegas-based 5th district in 1996, losing to Republican incumbent Ann O'Connell.

Sisolak was first elected to the Nevada Board of Regents in 1998. During his time on the Board of Regents, Sisolak discovered that thousands of Nevada students had been wrongly charged out-of-state tuition and won refunds for them.

In 2002, Sisolak sided with students and voted against a 16% tuition increase. He voted against student fee hikes in 2003 and 2008.

In 2004, Sisolak opposed dropping "Reno" from the University of Nevada, Reno's name and supported a uniform marketing of the institution that includes "Reno", saying that without it "the institution was presenting itself as somehow better or more important than its Southern counterpart, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas."

Sisolak fought to bring back a popular apprenticeship program at the College of Southern Nevada that was abruptly canceled during the recession.

Sisolak was long considered a potential candidate for governor of Nevada in the 2018 election. He first considered running for governor in 2014, but declined in February 2014.

Sisolak officially announced his candidacy on June 22, 2017. He defeated Clark County Commission colleague Chris Giunchigliani on June 12, 2018, to become the Democratic nominee. The Republican nominee was Adam Laxalt, the attorney general of Nevada and the grandson of former U.S. senator Paul Laxalt.

Sisolak's campaign priorities were education, healthcare, and the economy. He released a healthcare policy platform that included proposals to reduce pharmaceutical drug prices, fix Nevada's doctor shortage, and protect Nevadans with preexisting conditions. He said he wanted to continue Governor Sandoval's Medicaid expansion and new funding for education. Sisolak supported Question 1, also known as Marsy's Law, the crime victims rights bill, and opposed Question 3, the Energy Choice Initiative.

Sisolak was endorsed by former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Representative Dina Titus, the Sierra Club, the Human Rights Campaign, Let America Vote, and the Law Enforcement Coalition of Nevada.

Sisolak was elected governor on November 6, 2018, defeating Laxalt with 49.4% of the vote to Laxalt's 45.3%. He lost all but two county-level jurisdictions, but carried the two largest, Clark and Washoe. He won primarily on the strength of carrying Clark County by 86,600 votes, more than double his statewide margin of 39,700. Sisolak became the first Democrat elected governor since 1994.

Sisolak married Lori Ann "Dallas" Garland in 1987, with whom he has two daughters. Garland filed for divorce in 2000. After the divorce, Sisolak raised his daughters as a single father; both his daughters attended Las Vegas public high schools and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Shortly after being elected governor in 2018, Sisolak announced his engagement to Kathy Ong, an Ely native and his girlfriend of five years. On December 28, 2018, Sisolak announced his marriage to Ong.