Overview

My Life in Nevada Politics tells the entertaining, informative, and at times poignant story of the rise of Richard Bryan from humble beginnings in Las Vegas to the pinnacle of Nevada politics during a time of great change across the state and nation. Through his memoir, Bryan provides keen insight into the mechanics of politics, and the book serves as a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Silver State. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1937, Bryan grew up in Las Vegas. His interest in politics started early, winning school-class elections and expressing a personal goal of one day becoming Governor of Nevada. He was elected student body president at the University of Nevada. His career in public service began as a deputy district attorney in Clark County. In 1966, he became the first county public defender in state history. Bryan served in the Nevada Legislature in both the Assembly and Senate before winning the statewide office of Attorney General in 1978. He was elected Nevada Governor in 1982, winning re-election in 1986. Bryan was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988, reelected in 1994, and served on the committees on Commerce, Banking, Taxation, and Intelligence, and chaired the Ethics Committee. He retired from the Senate in 2001 and returned to Nevada. Bryan's list of accomplishments is extensive. He was largely responsible for the early call-to-arms in the fight against the Department of Energy's attempt to create a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. As governor, he reorganized state economic development programs, improved environmental protections for Lake Tahoe and other threatened areas, and made unprecedented appointments of women. In the Senate, Bryan authored the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act and the National Conservation Area for the High Rock Desert country. He had a front-row seat to the historic buildup to the Iraq War and the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. In retirement, Bryan continues to serve the state through his participation on a wide range of committees.  Throughout his political career, Bryan, with wife Bonnie at his side, traversed Nevada from its tiniest hamlets to the metro areas of Reno and Las Vegas with unrivaled zeal in his efforts to represent the state's citizens. He is famous for knowing thousands of his constituents not only by their first names, but also recalling details of their lives. The simple fact is, while in service to Nevada, Bryan was in his element in the place he loves best.

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9781647791759

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"""My Life in Nevada Politics is an important work because Richard Bryan is an important figure in Nevada politics. The book covers years in which the state saw huge changes in the Nevada experience, and the senator provides details of this change that give us the rich texture of the Silver State's politics at all levels. For those fascinated by the state's history and governance, this book will be of great interest."" --Jerome Edwards, professor emeritus of history at the University of Nevada, Reno, author of Pat McCarran: Political Boss of Nevada ""Through well-chosen anecdotes detailing Bryan's early years in Las Vegas, rise through state government, and tenure in the U.S. Senate, My Life in Nevada Politics: The Memoirs of Richard H. Bryan offers insights into many of the key decisions and events that shaped modern Nevada. The book also reveals how the qualities that Bryan embodied are so desperately missing today."" --David F. Damore, PhD, professor of political science and executive director of The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West"

""My Life in Nevada Politics is an important work because Richard Bryan is an important figure in Nevada politics. The book covers years in which the state saw huge changes in the Nevada experience, and the senator provides details of this change that give us the rich texture of the Silver State's politics at all levels. For those fascinated by the state's history and governance, this book will be of great interest."" - Jerome Edwards, professor emeritus of history at the University of Nevada, Reno, author of Pat McCarran: Political Boss of Nevada   ""Through well-chosen anecdotes detailing Bryan's early years in Las Vegas, rise through state government, and tenure in the U.S. Senate, My Life in Nevada Politics: The Memoirs of Richard H. Bryan offers insights into many of the key decisions and events that shaped modern Nevada. The book also reveals how the qualities that Bryan embodied are so desperately missing today."" - David F. Damore, PhD, professor of political science and executive director of The Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West

Author Information

Richard H. Bryan began his political career in 1966 and served the Silver State for more than three decades in many roles, including deputy district attorney for Clark County; the first and youngest public defender in the nation; state assemblyman and senator; Nevada attorney general; governor and United States senator. Bryan is a proud graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.   John L. Smith is a native Nevadan, freelance journalist, and author of more than a dozen books, including Saints, Sinners, and Sovereign Citizens: The Endless War over the West's Public Lands. He writes an award-winning column for The Nevada Independent and contributes to many other publications. In 2016, he was inducted into the Nevada Press Association Hall of Fame.

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