Cresent Hardy is the 5th generation son of former rancher out of Mesquite. Hardy’s family has lived in the area since the 1870s. He recently sold his interest in

Cresent Hardy

By Stephen Tool, MCIN Staff

Cresent Hardy is the 5th generation son of former rancher out of Mesquite. Hardy’s family has lived in the area since the 1870s. He recently sold his interest in a 20-year business partnership so he can focus his energies on making changes in Washington.

He is running for the Republican nomination for Nevada’s District 4 U.S. House of Representatives seat.

His public service and political experience include serving as Mesquite’s Public Works Director serving on the Virgin Valley Water District and as a member of the Mesquite City Council. He is also a member of the Nevada state assembly representing District 19.

“I’m taking this opportunity to turn this country around if I can, to get it going in a direction that’s good for my children, so they can have the same opportunities I do,” he said.

If he wins the the Republican nomination, he will face incumbent Steven Horsford.

“The number one problem I have with Horsford is that he votes right down the line with Reid, Pelosi and Obama. We need to create jobs and get this economy going again. I don’t think, they’ve done that, and with him (Horsford) following their policies, I think it’s a dangerous direction to keep going.”

Hardy says he will not contribute to Capitol Hill gridlock. His first session in the state legislature in 2011, with Steven Horsford as senate majority leader was a very divisive session. The second session was different: “I had a chance to visit and get to know people across party lines. We did what was best for the state of Nevada.  It was one of the most collegial sessions in the last 30 years.”

Closure of the Hawthorne’s military bases is not an option if Hardy is elected. “I’m a Reagan-era conservative. Defense is the number one responsibility of the federal government.

Hardy says he intends to fight for grazing rights for Nevada ranchers and put a halt to the expansion of wilderness areas. He’d like to see Nevada have more control over federal land within the state.

Hardy differs from his opponent Niger Innis in that he’s a life-long resident of the state and as an assemblyman, he has represented both the rural and urban populations of his district with equal tenacity. He doesn’t believe Innis possesses the intimate knowledge of the district and its citizens required for proper representation.

As far as immigration is concerned, Hardy believes we need to secure the border and enforce current immigration laws. “You don’t award citizenship to undocumented workers.” He does support an opportunity to earn citizenship for those who were born undocumented workers in the U.S.

On leaving a congressional legacy, Hardy says this: “To make sure my children and their children have the same opportunities as I did growing up in this great state. I want to leave this country and state better in better shape than I found them.”