Democratic Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar has received seven federal grand jury subpoenas between June and September 2026 demanding voter records. Aguilar calls the legal demands an intentional effort by the Trump administration to disrupt his reelection race against Republican Jim Marchant and influence control over the 2028 presidential election. While federal authorities cite election integrity concerns, state investigations have found no evidence supporting claims of widespread noncitizen voting in Nevada.
DOJ grand jury subpoenas sent to Aguilar
- ▪The Justice Department delivered seven grand jury subpoenas seeking voter data to Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar's office between June 16 and September 2, 2026.
- ▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar's office received the first Justice Department subpoena in June 2026, followed by three additional subpoenas on September 1 and 2, 2026.
Aguilar views subpoenas as political interference
- ▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar stated the flood of Justice Department subpoenas consumes his time, distracting him from his 2026 reelection campaign and reducing fundraising time.
- ▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar characterized the Justice Department subpoenas as an intentional effort by the Trump administration to weaken his 2026 reelection bid and influence oversight of 2028 presidential election ballots.
Federal law enforcement involvement
- ▪A Justice Department spokesperson declined to confirm or comment on grand jury subpoenas or respond to Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar's allegations of political motivation.
- ▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar's office worked informally with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on routine election security before receiving subpoenas in June 2026.
Dispute over noncitizen voting claims in Nevada
- ▪Department of Homeland Security officials initially told Nevada election officials that DHS had confirmed only 185 noncitizen voter registrations out of 16,000 claimed cases, which Nevada records indicated were all citizens.
- ▪In a July 16, 2026 Oval Office address, President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens had registered to vote, citing Nevada as one of four widespread states.
- ▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar stated that his office investigated President Donald Trump's noncitizen voting claims and found no evidence that flagged individuals were noncitizens.
- ▪A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that officials later identified at least 2,000 noncitizens on Nevada's voter rolls, though Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said no credible evidence was provided.
Dynamics of the 2026 Nevada Secretary of State race
- ▪Sabato's Crystal Ball senior columnist Louis Jacobson shifted the Nevada Secretary of State race toward incumbent Cisco Aguilar in September 2026.
- ▪Nevada Republican Governor Joe Lombardo has not endorsed either candidate in the 2026 Nevada Secretary of State election.
- ▪Republican challenger Jim Marchant welcomed the federal subpoenas, asserting that Cisco Aguilar has overseen elections rife with fraud.
- ▪Republican Jim Marchant, who falsely claims the 2020 election was rigged and lost narrowly to Cisco Aguilar in 2022, is challenging Aguilar again in the 2026 Nevada Secretary of State race.
Battleground Secretary of State races
- ▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar is one of only two Democratic incumbent secretaries of state running in battleground states during the 2026 election cycle.
- ▪No other Democratic secretary of state in key swing states, including Arizona, is known to have received Justice Department subpoenas during the 2026 election cycle.
Federal election Pressure Campaign
- ▪The Justice Department has sued 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain voter data, losing 26 of those cases including against Nevada.
- ▪President Donald Trump framed his election-related actions as an effort to assist Republicans in winning congressional seats during the 2026 midterm elections.
Nevada electoral landscape
- ▪Nevada's voter base is roughly 30% Latino, and the state narrowly swung toward Donald Trump in 2024 by 46,000 votes.
- ▪Nevada's election process grants the Secretary of State greater centralized administrative authority over elections compared to states like Arizona where counties hold more power.
Midterm election security and risks
- ▪The White House stated that the Trump administration's goal in its election-related efforts is to safeguard election integrity and voting security.
- ▪More than 50 election officials and experts identified potential midterms interference risks including fraud claims, pressure on state officials, seizure of materials, and immigration enforcement near polling places.
Story comments
Loading comments…