Former Nevada Congressman Jim Santini (D) succumbed to cancer this week at age 78. Santini served in the House from 1975 to 1983. He was the last congressman to represent the entire state. By 1982, Nevada’s growing population warranted a second representative.
Santini cofounded the bipartisan Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus in 1979. He led the successful effort to pass the National Tourism Policy Act act in 1981.
In Congress, Santini’s moderate-to-conservative record won voter approval and resulted in his re-election by overwhelming margins. Santini ran unsuccessfully for United States Senate in 1982.
In 1986, Santini switched to the Republican Party and ran for Senate again. He lost a very close race to Democrat Harry Reid.
Upon Santini’s death, Senator Reid said, “Today, Nevada lost a historic figure. Santini was a remarkably good person, a tremendous person who understood Nevada so well.”
In the years since he represented the state in Congress, Santini has worked as a Washington D.C. lobbyist, representing the travel and tourism industries.
