LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager is at the top of his game.
After a disappointing first run for office in 2014 — a Republican year in which the GOP won both houses of the Legislature and all statewide posts, too — the Democratic lawmaker came back in 2016 to win.
WATCH: Steve Sebelius talks to Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager about his decision to step away
Since then, he's risen through the ranks, finally becoming speaker in 2022, a post he's held for two sessions and three special sessions.
He's eligible for another, final term in the Assembly before the 12-year term limit kicks in. And he's been talked about as a candidate for statewide office or a seat on the powerful Clark County Commission.
But Yeager's walking away from it all.
"I just felt like it was time for me to step aside," said Yeager. "You know, I've run every cycle since 2014, so it's been 14 years of running for office."
And, Yeager says, campaigns today aren't like they were when he started.
"I mean, the nastiness of campaigns, the amount of money that you have to raise is five, six, seven times what it was before," he said. "And, you know, I think Nevada's structure of the Legislature makes it tough, right? You run one campaign and your reward is you get one session. So essentially you're running a campaign for 18 months."
That reward comes with a salary of just $12,000, plus expenses to live in Carson City for the four months of the session, during which hundreds of bills compete for hearings and votes, and many fail, despite long hours of work behind the scenes.
That shows, Yeager said, that most people who volunteer to serve in Carson City are doing it for the right reasons.
"We really do make it difficult," he said. "And so, you know, what I want to say, if people don't know is, really, thank your legislators. No matter who they are," he said. "It's a sacrifice to go up there, and its hard to get legislation passed, but people do it almost exclusively because they have good motivation to do it. They want life to be better for their fellow Nevadans."
Yeager said he's proudest of the election reforms enacted in the last few years, including universal mail-in voting for Nevadans that began as a temporary measure in the pandemic but was made permanent afterwards. He campaigned to have secured ballot drop boxes available between the end of early voting and Election Day, but that measure was vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo.
He also cited education reforms and putting additional focus on outdoor recreation, a personal passion for the speaker, who frequently posts photos from hikes or marathons on social media. Yeager is known as an avowed fan of doughtnuts — the "Yeager doughnut wall" was a regular feature in his office in Carson City — but he keeps the calories off with exercise.
He said he was most disappointed by failing to get prescription drug cost reforms, eviction reforms and gun safety bills passed. He also proposed a payments bank bill that would have allowed consumers to avoid fees, but that bill failed to pass.
One thing Yeager said did not factor into his decision not to run again was November's special session, when a rebellion of Democratic members almost killed a film tax credit bill before it could even get a vote. Members moved to kill the bill and challenged Yeager's rulings allowing members to vote remotely.
Ultimately, the measure passed 22-20 in the Assembly, and failed by a single vote in the state Senate.
"It really is time to put that behind us," Yeager said. "You know, we have a lot of challenges in this country, a lot of challenges in this state. And so, Democrats have to find a way to work together within their own party. Republicans need to find a way to work together. And Democrats and Republicans need to find a way to collaborate."
Although Yeager was rumored to be considering a run for Clark County Commission, he decided against that, too. For the first time in 15 years, he won't have to worry about fundraising, walking door to door to talk to voters, and the nerve-wracking wait for numbers on election night.
But that doesn't mean he's done for good.
"I don't think you've seen the last of me. But for now, just a bit of a break," he said.
