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Quick facts for kids Brian Sandoval


17th President of the University of Nevada, Reno
Incumbent
Assumed office October 5, 2020
Preceded by	Marc Johnson
29th Governor of Nevada
In office January 3, 2011 – January 7, 2019
Lieutenant	Brian Krolicki Mark Hutchison
Preceded by	Jim Gibbons
Succeeded by	Steve Sisolak
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 16, 2017 – July 21, 2018
Deputy	Steve Bullock
Preceded by	Terry McAuliffe
Succeeded by	Steve Bullock
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
In office October 26, 2005 – September 15, 2009
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Howard D. McKibben
Succeeded by	Gloria Navarro
30th Attorney General of Nevada
In office January 6, 2003 – October 26, 2005
Governor	Kenny Guinn
Preceded by	Frankie Sue Del Papa
Succeeded by	George Chanos
Chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission
In office April 28, 1999 – August 1, 2001
Appointed by	Kenny Guinn
Preceded by	Bill Curran
Succeeded by	Peter Bernhard
Member of the Nevada Gaming Commission
In office April 18, 1998 – August 1, 2001
Appointed by	Bob Miller
Preceded by	Deborah Griffin
Succeeded by	Peter Bernhard
Member of the Nevada Assembly from the 25th district
In office November 9, 1994 – April 18, 1998
Preceded by	Jim Gibbons
Succeeded by	Dawn Gibbons

Personal details
Born	Brian Edward Sandoval (1963-08-05) August 5, 1963 (age 61) Redding, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Kathleen Teipner (m. 1990; div. 2018) Lauralyn McCarthy (m. 2018)
Children	3 (with Teipner)
Education	University of Nevada, Reno (BA) Ohio State University (JD)
Signature

Brian Edward Sandoval (born August 5, 1963) is an American politician and academic leader. He has held many important roles. He was the 29th Governor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019. He also served as a federal judge and is now the president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Sandoval graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno. He started his career in politics in the 1990s. In 1998, he joined the Nevada Gaming Commission. He later became its chairman. As a Republican, Sandoval was elected Nevada Attorney General in 2003. He served until 2005. Then, President George W. Bush chose him to be a judge. He served on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

In 2010, Sandoval ran for governor. He won against the current governor, Jim Gibbons. He also defeated the Democratic candidate, Rory Reid. He was re-elected in 2014. He won by a very large margin. He could not run for a third term because of term limits. Steve Sisolak became the next governor. Since October 2020, Sandoval has been the 17th president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Early Life and Education

Brian Sandoval was born in Redding, California. His father, Ron, worked for the FAA. His mother, Gloria, was a legal secretary. He grew up in Reno. His family has Hispanic roots.

Sandoval went to Little Flower School in Reno. He graduated from Bishop Manogue High School in 1981. He then attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He was part of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. In 1986, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He studied English and economics. Later, he earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) in 1989. He got this degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Early Career in Nevada

After law school, Sandoval passed the bar exams in Nevada and California. This allowed him to practice law. He worked for several law firms in Reno. In 1999, he started his own law firm there.

Nevada Assembly Member

Serving in the State Assembly

In 1994, Jim Gibbons, a Republican, decided not to run for the Nevada Assembly again. Sandoval ran for his seat. This seat represented the 25th District in Reno. Sandoval won the election. He was re-elected in 1996. He left his seat in 1998. Jim Gibbons' wife, Dawn, then won the open seat.

Laws He Helped Pass

As an Assembly member, Sandoval helped pass 14 bills into law. Some of these laws stopped criminals from suing victims. This applied if the criminal got hurt while committing a crime. Another law allowed poor defendants to do community service. This helped them pay for legal costs.

His Committee Work

Sandoval worked on several important committees. These included the Judiciary, Taxation, and Natural Resources Committees. He also served on other groups. These were the Wisconsin Legislative Commission and the Juvenile Justice Commission.

Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman

In 1998, Sandoval was chosen to join the Nevada Gaming Commission. This group oversees the state's gambling industry. The next year, at age 35, Sandoval became the youngest chairman of the commission.

While chairman, Sandoval worked on important rules. He fought against efforts to ban gambling on college sports. He also worked on rules to limit gambling in neighborhoods. He helped create rules to stop slot machines from having themes that appeal to children.

Nevada Attorney General

Becoming Attorney General

On October 11, 2001, Sandoval announced he would run for Nevada Attorney General. The current Attorney General, Frankie Sue Del Papa, could not run again. This was due to term limits. Sandoval won the election on November 5, 2002. He defeated John Hunt from Las Vegas. Sandoval started his term on January 6, 2003.

His Work as Attorney General

As Attorney General, Sandoval led or was part of several state boards. These included the Nevada Boards of Pardons and Prisons. He also worked with the Cyber-Crime Task Force. He was on the Committee on Domestic Violence.

Federal District Judge

How He Became a Judge

In 2004, Senator Harry Reid asked Sandoval if he wanted to be a judge. He was interested in serving on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. In December, Senator Reid suggested Sandoval to President George W. Bush.

President Bush officially nominated Sandoval on March 1, 2005. He was chosen to fill a seat left by Judge Howard D. McKibben. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for his nomination. On October 24, 2005, the United States Senate confirmed him. All 89 senators present voted for him. He officially became a judge on October 26, 2005.

His Time as a Judge

Sandoval announced he would leave his judge position on August 15, 2009. His last day was September 15, 2009. On that same day, he announced he would run for Governor. His judge's office was in the Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse in Reno.

Governor of Nevada

Winning the Governor's Race

Sandoval and Nevada U.S. Senator Harry Reid in 2010

On June 9, 2010, Sandoval won the Republican primary election. He defeated the current Governor, Jim Gibbons. In the main election, Sandoval won with 53% of the votes. He beat the Democrat, Rory Reid. Rory Reid was a commissioner for Clark County. He was also the son of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Sandoval won in every county in Nevada.

Re-election in 2014

Sandoval ran for re-election in 2014. He won the Republican primary with 90% of the votes. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Bob Goodman. He won with over 70% of the votes. This was a very big win.

What He Did as Governor

As Nevada's 29th Governor, Sandoval made important decisions. He suggested a budget without new taxes. He also turned down a pay raise for himself. He took a 5% pay cut, like other state workers.

The final budget for 2011 avoided big cuts to education. It also helped human services programs. He appointed U.S. Congressman Dean Heller to become a U.S. Senator. This happened when the seat became empty.

On September 11, 2014, Sandoval signed a bill. This bill gave tax breaks to Tesla Motors. This was for building the huge Gigafactory 1 battery factory near Reno. This factory was important for Nevada's economy.

In June 2015, Sandoval signed several bills to improve Nevada's education system. These laws increased money for public schools. They also helped recruit more teachers. They expanded full-day kindergarten across Nevada.

On October 14, 2016, Sandoval signed a bill. This bill provided money for Allegiant Stadium. This stadium would be home to the NFL's Oakland Raiders and the UNLV Rebels football program.

In July 2016, Sandoval started a review of Nevada's juvenile justice system. This system helps young people who have broken laws. He created a task force to improve it.

On May 17, 2017, Sandoval signed a bill. This bill banned certain types of therapy for minors. This therapy was called conversion therapy.

President of University of Nevada, Reno

On September 17, 2020, Sandoval was named the 17th president of the UNR. This was an unusual choice because he did not have much experience in running a university. However, he is the first Hispanic president of the university. He is also the first alumnus (former student) to become its president. As president, Sandoval wants to increase the number of students to 25,000 by 2030. He calls this the "Wolf Pack Way."

Honors and Awards

Sandoval has received several awards. These include:

The "Broche de Oro Award" in 1996 from Hispanics in Politics.
The "Torch of Liberty Award" in 2003 from the Anti-Defamation League.
The "Access to Justice Public Lawyer Award" in 2004 from the Nevada State Bar.
The "Most Influential Hispanic in the U.S. Award" in 2004 from The Latino Coalition.
The "Alumnus of the Year Award" in 2004 from the University of Nevada.

Personal Life

Brian Sandoval married Kathleen Teipner in 1990. Kathleen worked for the Children's Cabinet in Reno. They had three children together. They announced their separation in 2017. Their divorce was final in 2018. They said the demands of public life were the main reason. Sandoval remarried Lauralyn McCarthy on August 11, 2018. She is a gaming executive from Las Vegas.