Horsford, Steven, 1973-

HORSFORD, Steven, a Representative from Nevada; born in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nev., April 29, 1973; graduated from Clark High School, Las Vegas, Nev.; attended University of Nevada, Reno, Nev.; professional advocate; business executive; member of the Nevada state senate, 2004-2012; majority leader, 2009-2012; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress (January 3, 2013-January 3, 2015); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress in 2014; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixteenth and to the succeeding Congress (January 3, 2019-present).

<p>Representative Horsford is a proven champion for Nevada’s working families. In the 117th Congress, he is committed to crushing the coronavirus, getting Nevada's economy back on track, and restoring public faith in American institutions.</p>

<p>Rep. Horsford understands the challenges many families in Nevada’s Fourth face each and everyday. He will fight for responsible gun control and background checks. He lost his father when he was 19 and empathizes with those who have experienced the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence. He will work tirelessly to end the school to prison pipeline and provide the safety net children and families need to succeed. Serving together, Rep. Horsford and his wife Sonya, have worked to strengthen children, families and communities because they know - family matters.</p>

<p>For more than a decade, Rep. Horsford led the Culinary Training Academy, the largest job training program in Nevada, helping thousands of workers find quality careers in the hospitality industry. An unique partnership between labor and business, the Culinary Training Academy under Rep. Horsford’s leadership placed over 80 percent of graduates into good paying jobs and completed a multi-million capital construction campaign.</p>

<p>Steven Alexzander Horsford (born April 29, 1973) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. Representative for Nevada's 4th congressional district since 2019, previously holding the position from 2013 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Nevada Senate, representing the 4th district, in Clark County, from 2005 to 2013. Horsford was the first African American to serve as Majority Leader (2009–2013) and the first African American to represent Nevada in Congress. Horsford was defeated by a Republican opponent in 2014. After the election he joined an international Las Vegas-based business and marketing consulting firm, R&R Partners, for which he had worked before beginning his political career. In January 2018, he announced that he would run in the midterm elections, which he won in November 2018, defeating former Republican U.S. Representative Cresent Hardy in a rematch of their 2014 race.</p>

<p>Horsford was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His mother, Pamela Horsford, came to the U.S. from Trinidad in her teens and gave birth to Horsford when she was 17. While attending Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas, Horsford worked at Pizza Hut and at a veterinarian's office, where he cleaned kennels after hours.</p>

<p>When Horsford was 19, his father, Gary Shelton, was killed. One report states that Shelton "was shot and killed at work by a man who had tried to rob the store" in North Las Vegas at which he worked as a cook, while another report states that he "was killed in a drug incident." After his father's death, Horsford temporarily returned home from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he had been studying political science and communications. Horsford returned to college the following year. He received a degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2014.</p>