Pahrump health care executive joins 2022 US Senate race

A health care executive in Pahrump is vying to take the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race in Nevada in 2022, joining three others.

Bill Hockstedler, a Pahrump resident and Air Force veteran, filed papers to run for the nomination and to unseat first-term Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto.

Hockstedler will have to take the Republican field first that included three other names as of Thursday, including former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Hockstedler will also face Sharelle Mendenhall, a business owner and Mrs. Nevada United States 2020, and Army veteran and Reno businessman Sam Brown.

Hockstedler is vice president for Ambient Clinical Analytics, a health care company based at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Locally, Hockstedler is also a volunteer with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Rapid Response Team.

On the issues, Hockstedler is a supporter of the Second Amendment, law enforcement and veterans. He is also looking to increase health care access, especially for those in rural areas.

Hockstedler has already kicked off his campaign and has spoken at events in both Nye and Clark counties, readying for next year’s primaries.

Cortez Masto was elected to her seat in 2016 after longtime Sen. Harry Reid retired. Cortez Masto was the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate.