Pat Spearman

Patricia Ann Spearman (born 1955) is an American cleric, veteran, and Democratic politician from North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Born in 1955 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Spearman was the daughter of a traveling evangelist.

Because of that, she moved a lot during her childhood.

Spearman earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, and attended the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, where she graduated with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.).

Moreover, she attended the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, while serving in the army.

Spearman spent 29 years (1977–2007) in the Military Police Corps of the United States Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Furthermore, she held different public service positions in San Marcos, Texas in the 1980s and 1990s, starting as chair of the advisory council of a local district of the Department of Health and Human Services for two years.

In the early 1990s, she also served as pastor of the Jackson Chapel, a United Methodist church in San Marcos.

She reached the board of the school district in 1991 after receiving 1,136 votes, and was chosen board president six months later.

She did not seek re-election to a second term in 1994.

Between 2001 and 2005, Spearman served as faculty at the University of Louisville, where she was a lecturer in Pan American studies and director of the multicultural center.

While serving in the military in 2004, she received the title Kentucky colonel.

After moving to the Las Vegas Valley in 2005, she founded the Resurrection Faith Community Ministries, a church in North Las Vegas, and became pastor of the church.

Spearman also volunteered for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, and was member of the advisory boards for Harry Reid and Steven Horsford in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

She was elected in November 2012 to the Nevada Senate representing District 1, that is composed of the northern section of North Las Vegas and slivers of neighboring jurisdictions, after defeating incumbent John Jay Lee in the primary, and winning the general election.

Spearman became the first openly lesbian member of the Nevada Legislature.

When Spearman was running for Senate in 2012, she was pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration at Walden University, an online college.

In 2012, Spearman challenged two-term incumbent Nevada Senator John Jay Lee, who was endorsed by the Senate Democratic Caucus, to represent the 1st district in the Nevada Senate.

Spearman argued Lee was too moderate, since he opposed abortion and gay marriage.

For that reason, she was supported by a coalition of liberal-leaning social and environmental groups.

Spearman, who is lesbian herself, supported gay marriage and abortion.

Furthermore, Spearman said Lee was not doing enough for his constituents.

On her campaign website and in press releases, she stated she had worked as a professor at the University of Louisville, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal found out she technically had not been a professor.

Lee criticized Spearman during his campaign for the falsehood, saying she was lying about her background in order to win the primary.

Besides, Lee said that "[his] opponent [had] been encouraged to run by supporters of single issues like gay rights," and that the voters needed "the seniority and maturity of a senator."

Spearman won the primary, that was held on June 12, with 63% of the votes.

She called it "a victory for the people."

Spearman had spent about $12,000 on her primary campaign, which was only a fifteenth of the amount Lee had spent.

However, an additional $80,000 was spent on her campaign by other political groups that were campaigning against Lee.

An analysis by Lee's opponents, found out 54% of the voters were female, and a third of them had never voted in a primary before.

During the general election, she was only challenged by Independent American Gregory Hughes, as no Republican had filed for the office.

During the campaign for the general election, Spearman said it was important for Nevada to raise funding for education, since the current education system makes the state unattractive to new businesses and industries.

She argued the wages of teachers had to be raised, and classes had to become smaller.

Moreover, she was involved in the process of establishing the Nevada Revenue Plan during the 2015 session.

On October 6, 2021, Spearman entered the 2022 race for Mayor of North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Before being elected senator, Spearman served in the United States Army for 29 years, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel, was a pastor, and held several public service positions, including president of the school district of San Marcos, Texas.

She was re-elected in November 2016, and serves as co-majority whip since.

Regarded as one of the most liberal members of the Nevada Senate, Spearman has introduced bills that provide equal pay for women, support LGBT rights, and support veterans.

Spearman is also a supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Thereafter, she was simultaneously member of the board of directors of a local charitable organization, member of the 17th Congressional District Selection Committee for Military Academies, and president of the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District.