Mary Fanshaw (1951-) was Minority Leader of the Nevada Assembly from 6 April 2020 to 28 March 2022, preceding Robert Goldberg.
Biography[]
Mary Fanshaw was born in Paradise, Nevada in 1951, and she became a lawyer for the casino industry in Las Vegas during the 1970s. Fanshaw's work initially saw her defending the casinos' financial interests against intrusive regulations, but the Mafia slayings and corruption scandals of the 1980s turned Fanshaw against her employers. Fanshaw re-registered as a Democrat in 1986 and became an advocate for the interests of casino workers, and she enjoyed cross-party appeal due to her union advocacy and her lingering sympathies towards Las Vegas' entertainment industry. Fanshaw was later elected to the Nevada Assembly, and she became the leader of the Democrats in the assembly by 2020. That year, she led her party to win 32.5% of the vote and 16/48 Assembly seats, while the Republicans won 67.5% of the vote and 32/48 seats. In the ensuing gubernatorial election, Fanshaw outperformed her party, winning 41.9% of the vote and losing to Republican candidate Barbara Sulley and her 58.1%. The next two years saw Fanshaw fail in her battles against Sulley's authoritarian regime, and, after a humiliating loss in the 2022 gubernatorial election, Fanshaw retired from her role as Minority Leader and was replaced by the younger Robert Goldberg.