Two former Nevada congressmen set for rematch

Former Nevada Reps. Steven Horsford (D) and Cresent Hardy (R) won their respective primaries on Tuesday, setting up a rematch for a highly competitive House seat.

Horsford and Hardy both decided to mount comeback campaigns after freshman Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D) announced he wouldn’t seek reelection amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

The former lawmakers will be vying to represent Nevada’s 4th District, which includes northern Las Vegas and has become more favorable for Democrats since its inception in 2012.

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton carried the district by 5 points in 2016, while Kihuen won by a similar margin.

In the Democratic primary, Horsford defeated five other candidates for the nomination after entering the race in late January.

Horsford gained a significant endorsement from the Culinary Union, which has powerful sway in Nevada political circles. He served as a state senator from 2004 to 2012 and was the first African-American Senate majority leader in Nevada.

He was elected to Congress in 2012, but lost to Hardy in 2014, a year when Republicans made major gains. Hardy went on to lose his reelection in 2016 to Kihuen by 4 points.

Horsford has already faced criticism from both Democratic and Republican opponents for living and working in Washington, D.C., after losing his House seat in 2014.

Meanwhile, Hardy defeated four GOP challengers in his primary on Tuesday. The former state assemblyman, who served from 2011 to 2015, entered the race in mid-January.

Hardy and Horsford will now face each other in a general election that is a top priority for both Democrats and Republicans this cycle.