1998Flipped from RepublicanFinal results
1998 election for Nevada's 1st District
U.S. House · Nevada
Shelley Berkley (D) won with 49.2% of the vote, defeating Don Chairez (R) by 3.6 points, a seat Republicans won last time.
Shelley BerkleyDemocrat · winner
49.2%79,315
Don ChairezRepublican
45.7%73,540
Jim BurnsLibertarian
3.3%5,292
Jess HoweIndependent
1.8%2,935
161,082 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1998
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Shelley BerkleyDon Chairez
$1.3M
Raised by the campaign
$573.1K
$1.3M
Spent by the campaign
$556K
$18.4K
Cash on hand
$16.1K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1998.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1998
The candidates
Shelley Berkley (D)Don Chairez (R)
Also on the ballot: Jim Burns (Libertarian), 3.3%; Jess Howe (Independent), 1.8%