Longtime Nevada lobbyist Sam McMullen dies at 72

Lobbyist and lawyer Sam McMullen, a staple at the Nevada Legislature for more than 40 years, died Monday. He was 72.

McMullen worked in the Legislature since 1973, starting as a student lobbyist while attending the University of Nevada, Reno. He later attended Georgetown Law. A fourth-generation Nevada native, he grew up in Elko and lived in Las Vegas.

“He goes back to the days where a deal could get done with a handshake,” his wife of 48 years, Mary-Ellen McMullen, said. “(Clients) knew when Sam McMullen walked in the door they were getting a straight shooter, they were getting the truth, and he always cared ultimately about how it would impact Nevada.”

During his lobbying career, he represented a number of gaming interests as well as medical firms and mining companies, and at points both the Las Vegas and Henderson chambers of commerce, among other clients. He also worked as an adjunct professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV alongside his daughter Erin, who is also a lawyer and lobbyist.

Deep Nevada roots

McMullen was extremely proud of his Nevada roots, according to his family. He was the fourth Sam McMullen after his great-great-grandfather immigrated from Ireland to a ranch outside Elko in the 1860s. He frequently returned to Elko and was on the board of the Western Folklife Center there.

He started his own lobbying firm, McMullen Strategic Group, in 1990, leaving an high-level position at Harrah’s (now Caesars) in order to spend more time with his family. In 2006, McMullen joined Las Vegas law firm Snell & Wilmer to found its government lobbying arm.

“The No. 1 thing on his mind was what was best for the state of Nevada,” said George Ross, who worked with McMullen at his lobbying firm.

McMullen had the ability to see two steps ahead of other lobbyists, Ross said. He also had an eye for detail. Ross recalled one night during the 2005 session when McMullen stayed up until 4 a.m. to read through a proposed bill and found new language on page 80 which would have hurt his client’s interests.

“He loved nit-picky details,” Ross said. “He knew that the smallest word, even just a period, made a difference.”

Some of his most important work came during the 2003 session’s tax fight, according to Ross. McMullen represented the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to lobby against against a gross receipts tax, a battle he won.

“He made the Las Vegas chamber a major player in Nevada politics,” Ross said.

The group, now known as the Vegas Chamber, called McMullen “instrumental” to its growth in a statement.

”His lifetime of work in Nevada policy making ensured that businesses across the state had a trusted and steadfast voice standing up for them during the Nevada Legislature,” the statement said.

McMullen was a significant advocate for women’s rights, especially in law, according to his daughter.

“He was all about giving people a chance,” Erin said. “I’ve heard from a lot of young women that he helped them get their start. He was just very inclusive and he was so loved by our students at UNLV.”

Family time

At home, McMullen always made time for his family, never missing a Little League game, they said. After getting home late in the night he would read his daughter’s math homework and leave a handwritten note for her to see the next morning, Erin recalled.

He also valued travel, sometimes pulling his kids out of school to take the family to exotic locales such as Australia, Easter Island and Petra in Jordan. He had a habit for doing things on the fly, deciding to extend trips on a whim, even once buying a used Ferrari off eBay to the surprise of his family.

“I felt like Jonny Quest,” his son Sam, Jr. said. “As a kid I almost thought that my dad was a secret agent taking us to far off places.”

McMullen brushed off those who view lobbyist as a dirty word. “Everyone deserves representation,” Mary-Ellen McMullen recalled her husband saying. He supplemented his lobbying and advocacy with pro bono work and support of local charities.

He is survived by Mary-Ellen, son Sam, Jr., daughter Erin McMullen Midby, granddaughter Mia, all of Las Vegas, also sisters Kay McMullen Brooks, of Elko, and Colleen McMullen, of Carson City.

“We look back and we feel like we left no stone unturned as a family,” Mary-Ellen McMullen said. “He was the mastermind of all of that and created a great life for all of us. He came from a modest background and worked very hard to be able to provide his family with just wonderful experiences.”

Contact Nick Robertson at NRobertson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @NickRobertsonSU.