Who will replace the ‘American Pimp’ elected to Congress in Nevada?

Republican officials have announced what will happen to the Nevada state legislature seat won by Dennis Hof, a 72-year-old Republican candidate and brothel owner who, despite being dead, defeated his Democratic opponent in the race.

Hof didn’t just defeat his Democratic opponent, Lesia Romanov, he handily beat her by getting 68 percent of the vote in the race for the 36^th Assembly District seat. Hof led very early and quickly jumped out to a 36-point lead that Romanov could simply not catch.

What happens next? Lyon County Republican Party officials will appoint a replacement Republican candidate to fill Hof’s seat. Apparently, the replacement process is very convoluted and very competitive. The search will begin across the three counties that make up the 36^th district. Republicans Joe Burdzinski and James Oscarson will likely contend for the job.

Prostitution is legal in Nevada, the only state to have legalized this particular business. Hof owned five legal brothels and a strip club. One brothel was named the Moonlight Bunny Ranch. Another of Hof’s brothels, Love Ranch, became famous when ex-NBA basketball player Lamar Odom was found unconscious there in 2015.

Hof presented himself as the “American Pimp” and as the “Trump from Pahrump,” nicknamed for the Nevada town Pahrump where he lived. Like Trump, Hof was a reality TV star and even wrote a book called “The Art of the Pimp.”

Hof often compared himself to Trump, admired Trump and even said his own political fortunes were on a road very parallel to that of President Trump’s ascendancy. Hof was a big fan of Trump, saying  the reason Trump won was that “people set aside for a moment their moral beliefs, their religious beliefs, to get somebody that is honest in office.”

While many Republicans in Nevada lost their races, Hof crushed his Democratic opponent. This came as no surprise to Hof’s campaign manager Chuck Muth, who predicted a Hof win. In the 36^th district, they lean heavily Republican, with twice as many Republicans registered to vote. Voters also shot down—by nearly 80 percent—an anti-brothel initiative.

Hof died in October on his 72^nd birthday. Hof’s friends and family had just thrown him a big party. Hof went to take a nap at one of Hof’s properties in Crystal, Nevada. When friends went to wake Hof for a meeting, they found him dead. Hof apparently just died in his sleep.

Nevada state law required Hof’s name to remain on the ballot. Even though signs were posted throughout the district notifying voters Hof had died, state GOP officials were nevertheless urging voters to still vote for Hof to prevent Democrats from flipping the seat to their party.

Hof’s platform was deeply conservative, including a tough immigration policy and expanded gun rights. On the same platform was Hof’s effort to mainstream the prostitution industry.

Hof had an interesting memorial service, held at the Casino Fandango in Carson City, Nevada. Porn star Ron Jeremy gave the eulogy, then signed women’s breasts after the service.