Democrat announces candidacy for Nevada Assembly speaker’s district

A Democratic candidate has stepped up to run in the caucus leader’s district, one day after Speaker Steve Yeager announced he will not seek re-election.

Ryan Hampton announced his intention Tuesday to run for Assembly District 9, the southwest Las Vegas district Yeager has represented since 2017.

“My commitment is to wake up every single day and fight like hell to strengthen our schools, expand affordable health care, protect our freedoms, create good paying jobs and tackle the housing affordability crisis,” Hampton said in a video posted on X. “This election is about making your life better. It’s about us. It’s about believing in a Nevada where every person can thrive where secure future is within reach and where no one, and I mean no one is left behind.”

Hampton, who works as an addiction recovery advocate, previously ran for Assembly in District 4, in the northwest Las Vegas Valley, in 2024. He lost by almost 9 percentage points to Republican Assemblymember Lisa Cole.

He enters what could be a competitive race. Yeager eked out a victory against Republican Erica Neely, 51.1 percent-to-48.9 percent, according to 2024 election results.

The announcement comes one day after Yeager and Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, said they will not run in 2026. They both have served five regular sessions and five special sessions.

The top Assembly lawmakers did not say whether they intend for other offices in the next election cycle. Yeager told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday he was taking time to consider his options.

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X. Review-Journal reporter Jessica Hill contributed to this report.