Election denier loses secretary of state race in Nevada

(Reuters) – Jim Marchant, a former Nevada state assemblyman who opposed the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win in the state in 2020, was defeated in his race to become Nevada’s secretary of state, Edison Research projected on Saturday.

Democrat Cisco Aguilar won the secretary of state race in Nevada, defeating Marchant, according to Edison Research.

In Nevada, the secretary of state does not have the power to certify election results, but can set and enforce election rules.

Nevada is a swing state that could play an important role in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump has hinted that he is planning to run for president again.

Marchant lost a race for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020. He sued to overturn that result, claiming without evidence that he had been the victim of fraud, but his lawsuit was unsuccessful.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Makini Brice; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)