Bob Miller (Nevada politician)

This article is about a former Nevada governor. For other uses of the name, see Bob Miller (disambiguation).

Bob Miller
26th Governor of Nevada
In office January 3, 1989 – January 4, 1999
Lieutenant	Sue Wagner Lonnie Hammargren
Preceded by	Richard Bryan
Succeeded by	Kenny Guinn
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 16, 1996 – July 30, 1997
Preceded by	Tommy Thompson
Succeeded by	George Voinovich
29th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
In office January 5, 1987 – January 3, 1989
Governor	Richard Bryan
Preceded by	Bob Cashell
Succeeded by	Sue Wagner
19th District Attorney of Clark County
In office January 1, 1979 – December 31, 1986
Preceded by	George Holt
Succeeded by	Rex Bell
Personal details
Born	Robert Joseph Miller (1945-03-30) March 30, 1945 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Sandy Miller
Children	3, including Ross
Education	Santa Clara University (BA) Loyola Marymount University (JD)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1967–1973
Unit	United States Army Reserve Air Force Reserve Command
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

Robert Joseph Miller (born March 30, 1945) is an American former attorney and politician who served as the 26th governor of Nevada from 1989 to 1999. A member of the Democratic Party, he is Nevada's longest-serving governor. He is also, as of 2023, the most recent Nevada governor to have a lieutenant governor from the opposing party, having served with Republicans Sue Wagner and Lonnie Hammargren. Before ascending to the governorship, Miller was the 29th lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1987 to 1989.

Early life and politics

Miller was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved with his family to Las Vegas, Nevada as a child. His father, Ross Miller, was a bookmaker, who, according to his son's 2013 autobiography, Son of a Gambling Man, had operated on both sides of the law on some of the meaner streets of industrial Chicago.

Bob Miller attended Roman Catholic schools. He graduated from Bishop Gorman High School in 1963 with honors, and from Santa Clara University in 1967, earning a degree in political science. He received his J.D. degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California.

Miller served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1967 to 1973, and later in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He served as Clark County Deputy District Attorney from 1971 to 1973. In 1978, Miller was elected Clark County District Attorney, and in 1982 became the first holder of that office to win re-election. He was president of the National District Attorneys Association in 1984. Miller was elected the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada in 1986 and was sworn in for a four-year term on January 5, 1987.

Governor of Nevada (1989–1999)

On January 3, 1989, incumbent governor Richard Bryan resigned to take a seat in the U.S. Senate. Miller, as lieutenant governor, subsequently became governor under the Nevada succession law. After becoming governor, Miller addressed his staff, stating, "I'm looking forward for us to spend several years together. How many together depends on how well we do".

Miller ran in the 1990 Nevada gubernatorial election to keep his job. He easily won the Democratic nomination and defeated Republican Jim Gallaway in a landslide. He was reelected in the 1994 Nevada gubernatorial election, defeating Republican air force officer member (and future governor) Jim Gibbons. Miller chaired the National Governors Association from 1996 until 1997. His decade in office made him Nevada's longest-serving governor. Lifetime term limits prevented him from seeking re-election in the 1998 Nevada gubernatorial election. He was succeeded for governor by Republican Kenny Guinn.

After Miller's departure from office in January 1999, no Nevada Democrats were elected governor until Steve Sisolak in the 2018 Nevada gubernatorial election. Miller has a middle school in Henderson, Nevada named after him, which opened in 1999.

After politics (1999–present)

Miller presently serves on the board of directors of Wynn Resorts and International Game Technology. He is the Principal of Robert J. Miller Consulting, which provides business-to-government and business-to-business advice and assistance. He is also a senior advisor with Dutko Worldwide, a bipartisan government relations company headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Family

Miller and his wife, Sandy, have three children, including Ross Miller, who served as Secretary of State of Nevada from 2007 to 2015. He and his wife currently live in Henderson, Nevada.

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN