Jacky Rosen is back in the U.S. Senate for a second term representing the Silver State - after she barely hung on to her seat amid the red wave.

Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and House, but Senator Rosen says they’re finding their footing when it comes to pushing back on tariffs, deportations, DOGE and more.

This episode, host Ben Margiott sits down with Senator Rosen for an extended one-on-one conversation on all of that - not to mention her opinion of a new voter ID proposal, the criticism of her Washoe County lands bill and how her first job as a cocktail waitress on the Vegas Strip informs her work in Congress.

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Longtime northern Nevada Representative Mark Amodei, fresh off his 2024 re-election, is now part of the GOP's slim House majority in President Donald Trump's second term.

It's been a busy start, from the back-and-forth over enacting tariffs, DOGE cuts, deportations, Medicaid, the Signal group chat controversy and much more.

Where does Amodei stand on these issues? This week, host Ben Margiott sits down with him for a one-on-one interview you will only hear on Ballot Battleground: Nevada.

In a wide-ranging interview, Ben asks for Amodei's positions on a number of major issues affecting Nevadans - and gets some news about 2026 at the very end.

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A fast-growing state, lagging incomes and a limited supply of developable land created an affordable housing crisis in Nevada before the pandemic hit. Supply chain constraints and construction costs experienced during COVID-19 only exacerbated the issue.

In the pandemic's wake, have our elected leaders done enough to solve the affordable housing crisis? What's it going to take to put Nevada on a sustainable path to boost housing supply into the foreseeable future? And are our leaders pushing the right buttons or advancing limited solutions?

The nonpartisan Guinn Center recently released the report on housing affordability in Nevada. This episode, the center's executive director Jill Tolles and one of the authors Dr. Nic Irwin join host Ben Margiott to take a deep dive on housing affordability in the Silver State.

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Residents of a small Nevada town were promised high-speed fiber internet from Reno-based Uprise Fiber. Nearly 3 years later, there is no progress whatsoever and $9 million allocated to the project by the state is missing. Now, investigations have been launched and the story has shifted to the Nevada legislature. The story may not have been uncovered and certainly would not have received the amount of attention it has if not for the dogged efforts of KRNV News 4 evening anchor and investigative reporter Joe Hart. This episode, host Ben Margiott and Joe walk listeners through the Uprise Fiber scandal from the start. How did this happen? Who is to blame? Are the people responsible being held accountable? And how can the state put in safeguards to prevent this from happening again?

Uprise owner resigns from family business amid News 4 investigation into missing funds

Probe launched as $9.1M Lovelock internet plan unravels, raising accountability worries

Nevada senator raises alarm over missing $9 million in fiber optic project

'We're done,' staffer abruptly ends interview with News 4 over failed fiber optic project

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What's happened so far in the 2025 Nevada legislature? From a fast-tracked egg prices bill and ending Daylight Saving Time to possible Medicaid cuts, there's been a flurry of activity recently after a few slow weeks to start. One month in, we thought it would be a great time to check in on the biggest debates of the 83rd session with two of the best legislative reporters.

The Nevada Independent's Tabitha Mueller and Nevada Public Radio's Paul Boger join host Ben Margiott for another remote podcast inside the legislative building in Carson City to get you up to speed on the first month of #nvleg.

Don't know how the Nevada legislature works? Listen to our last episode: Nevada Legislature 101 with veteran lobbyist Will Adler

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The clock is ticking at the 83rd session of the Nevada legislature, which kicked off last week in Carson City. Before we dive into the nitty gritty of the session, we wanted to start with an approachable, easy-to-understand primer for people who are brand new to #nvleg. How does our unusual citizen legislature work? How does a bill become a law? And how does the building really operate?

Veteran lobbyist Will Adler, principal of Silver State Government Relations, joins host Ben Margiott for a laid-back Silver State civics class. Ben and Will explain the ins and outs of the Nevada legislature in simple terms for people who are interested in following the process for the first time.

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Welcome back to season 2 of Ballot Battleground: Nevada! We'll kick off season 2 with a deep dive on the first major political event of the odd years in Nevada politics - the Governor's State of the State address.

That speech sets the stage for what's to come in the upcoming legislative session. This week, we have the perfect guest to give us some insight - former Lombardo chief of staff Ben Kieckhefer.

Kieckhefer has worn many hats over his years in Nevada politics — Associated Press reporter, Reno-area Senator and Nevada Gaming Commission member, just to name a few.

This week, Ben joins host Ben Margiott to chat about what the governor hoped to accomplish in his State of the State address, his 2025 legislative priorities, the structural budget errors and Lombardo's governing strategy.

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We're back! Season 2 of Ballot Battleground: Nevada returns on January 29 with a renewed focus on getting regular people more informed and involved in their government. With the 2024 election behind us, host Ben Margiott will now focus on how the newly elected officials are using their power. Will they fulfill the lofty promises made on the campaign trail? Or will they find those goals not feasible in reality? Will the policies they enact truly make Nevada a better place? Or could they backfire with unintended consequences? 

Ben will interview the biggest lawmakers, advocates and power players of Nevada politics - as well as the voters that are affected by policies. Together, they'll examine and explain the Nevada legislature, federal policies, the practical effect of passed ballot measures and yes — eventually the 2026 midterms.

New episodes will drop every other Wednesday - starting January 29.

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All 17 of Nevada's counties have certified the results of the 2024 election, bringing this unprecedented cycle officially to a close. This week on Ballot Battleground: Nevada, host Ben Margiott recaps the dramatic canvass meeting in Washoe County and looks ahead to 2025.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joins to explain how his office intends to stand up to efforts to infringe on Nevadans' rights and be a 'bulwark' against the incoming Trump administration.

Plus, Vote Nevada executive director Sondra Cosgrove - a big supporter of open primaries and ranked choice voting - says the fight for open primaries is not over even after statewide ballot Question 3 failed.

Programming note: This was the final episode of season 1 of Ballot Battleground: Nevada. We will be taking a holiday hiatus and returning with all-new episodes in early 2025.

Advocates continue push for open primaries in Nevada after Question 3 defeated

Top Nevada Democrat says he won't introduce open primary bill despite advocate push

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What really happened in the 2024 election is now coming into focus with all the results now in. What are the biggest takeaways? What lessons did we learn about the electorate? What will candidates and campaigns take away and use in future elections? Tabitha Mueller, reporter with The Nevada Independent, and Lucia Starbuck, KUNR political reporter, join host Ben Margiott to talk takeaways. The three chatted about the importance of early voting, the Reid Machine's strength, the changing Clark County, how Nevadan you are, ballot deadlines, election denialism and much more.

Nevada state election results

Northern Nevada local election results

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