In a double-win for the Democratic Party in Nevada, Cisco Aguilar has been elected as the new secretary of state, beating the Republican Party’s Jim Marchant. Aguilar’s victory comes in the wake of his party member Catherine Cortez Masto being re-elected as a Nevada Senator in a bid that helps the Democrats to retain control of the US Senate. Just like Cortez Masto is the first Latina US Senator, Aguilar is the first Latino Secretary of State of Nevada.

Aguilar’s opponent in the election, Jim Marchant, was endorsed by former US President Donald Trump during his campaign. Marchant has been constant in his stance as an election denier. The Democrats were earlier afraid that had he won the election, he would use his powers in 2024 to influence the outcome of the presidential election.

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He had earlier remarked, “We haven’t, in Nevada, elected anybody since 2006…They have been installed by the deep state cabal.” He had also said that if re-elected, his “number one priority [would] be to overhaul the fraudulent election system in Nevada”

Marchant is a former state legislator from Nevada’s District 37. Before his re-election, Aguilar had told NPR, “My opponent has built everything he has on a false foundation of lies and disinformation.”

Marchant has led a drive for counties to hand-count ballots rather than utilising machines in the state, despite the fact that research has suggested that the process is less reliable. He has also claimed that he intended to drastically restrict voting access in Nevada.

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Marchant’s defeat makes it clear that Americans are not endorsing election deniers. With his loss, all election-denying secretary of state candidates from the Republican Party in key states have been defeated. These include candidates from Arizona, Minnesota, and Michigan.

As the state’s top election official, Aguilar will take over from Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, whose term is coming to an end. She was censured by the state party as a result of defending the integrity and outcomes of Nevada’s 2020 elections.