Danny Tarkanian

Daniel George John Tarkanian (born December 18, 1961) is an American attorney, businessman and perennial candidate for elective office.

The Tarkanian family moved to Nevada in 1973 when Danny was 12.

He attended Hyde Park Junior High School in Las Vegas and later the Bishop Gorman High School.

He achieved honors in all four years.

At Bishop Gorman High School, he played both basketball and football, and both sports teams went into the playoffs and won state championships.

In basketball, he played point guard.

In football, he played quarterback and was named All-Conference and All-State at his position twice.

After graduating from high school, he spent one year at Dixie College, playing basketball one season for the Rebels, where his team went to the regional playoffs.

He was named the school's Male Freshman of the Year.

Tarkanian then transferred to UNLV, where he was coached by his father.

He played 3 seasons, 1981–1984, for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball.

In his sophomore year, his team won 24 straight games and was ranked number one nationally.

At UNLV, Tarkanian was twice named First-Team Academic All-American by the CoSIDA.

He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1984 NBA draft in Round 8, but did not make the team.

Following graduation, Tarkanian received his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Tarkanian passed the Nevada Bar Exam and practiced law for eight years, four as proprietor of his own firm.

In 1995, Jerry Tarkanian became the head coach for the Fresno State Bulldogs basketball team at Fresno State, where Danny joined his father as an assistant coach.

The team qualified for the post-season every year during Tarkanian's tenure.

Tarkanian moved back to Las Vegas following his father's retirement in 2002.

He started a real estate investment business and he co-founded the Tarkanian Basketball Academy.

A Republican, he has mounted unsuccessful campaigns for the Nevada Senate (2004), Nevada Secretary of State (2006), the United States Senate (2010 and 2018), and the United States House of Representatives (2012, 2016, 2018 and 2022).

On May 4, 2004, Tarkanian filed to run in Nevada's 11th Senate district (map) against incumbent Michael A. Schneider.

Schneider defeated Tarkanian in the general election.

Following the election, Tarkanian successfully sued his Democratic opponent for libel and defamation.

During the campaign, Schneider made various accusations against Tarkanian, including accusing him of involvement with the creation of illegal telemarketing companies designed to defraud the elderly.

Schneider stood by statements he made in a 2004 debate with Tarkanian and in campaign ads and fliers accusing Tarkanian.

Former assistant U.S. Attorney Leif Reid, son of Nevada U.S. Senator Harry Reid, testified that Tarkanian was not part of the investigation into the telemarketing companies.

In December 2005, Tarkanian announced his second bid for public office, this time a statewide election for Nevada Secretary of State.

He defeated Brian Scroggins in the Republican primary and faced Democratic nominee Ross Miller, the son of former Nevada governor Bob Miller in the general election.

Miller defeated Tarkanian in the general election.

The case went to trial on July 27, 2009.

On July 31, 2009, a Clark County District Court jury ruled in Tarkanian's favor and awarded him $50,000 in damages.

On August 3, 2009, Schneider agreed to pay a $150,000 settlement in the case.

Tarkanian filed to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Dean Heller in the 2018 Republican primary, but later withdrew to run for the United States House of Representatives in Nevada's 3rd congressional district, winning the nomination and then losing the general election to Democrat Susie Lee.

In 2020, Tarkanian finally won his first office, being elected to the Douglas County Commission.

In 2020, Tarkanian was elected as a member of the County Commission for Douglas County, population 46,997.

He defeated incumbent Commissioner Dave Nelson in the Republican primary election and was unopposed in the general election.

Tarkanian was born in Redlands, California, the third of four children.

He is the son of Jerry Tarkanian, a prominent University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) basketball coach, and Lois Tarkanian (née Huter), a Las Vegas City Councilwoman, educator of children with disabilities, administrator, and a co-founder for California's first private school for the deaf.

Tarkanian grew up in three different California cities, (Riverside, Pasadena, and Huntington Beach) as his father progressed in his professional career.