Who do voters listen to? It’s the R-J by a nose!

The Review-Journal is apparently the more influential of the two Las Vegas newspapers, but made more politically diverse recommendations, according to a post-election analysis of endorsements and voting results.

In 72.2 percent of races, voters took the advice of the R-J, while following the prescriptions of the Las Vegas Sun just 66.6 percent of the time, the analysis shows.

But the two newspapers, which have very different editorial philosophies, found themselves in agreement in nearly 60 percent of their ballot recommendations, including three ballot questions pertaining to the appellate court, repealing the constitutional cap on mining taxes and the Education Initiative.

The papers made endorsements in a total of 90 races, from Congress to constitutional offices to state legislative positions to judges and local officials. Voters agreed with the R-J’s recommendation in 65 of those races, and the Sun in 60.

The most disagreement between the papers came in the constitutional offices, where the R-J recommended the eventual winner in four of the six contests, while the Sun recommended the winner in only one race. (Both newspapers endorsed Gov. Brian Sandoval for re-election, after he faced a little-known, ill-funded challenger who lost to “None of These Candidates” in the primary election.)

The most agreement came in endorsements for county offices, where the newspapers agreed on nearly every race. (The R-J made no endorsement in the Clark County Commission District E seat eventually won by incumbent Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, and the papers were divided in the sheriff’s race, with the R-J backing eventual winner Joe Lombardo and the Sun supporting his unsuccessful rival, Larry Burns.) Both papers also agreed on candidates for university regent, and all three of the endorsed candidates — Trevor Hayes, Sam Lieberman and incumbent Kevin Page — won their respective races.

When the newspapers did agree, so did voters, for the most part: In 83 percent of races in which the R-J and the Sun endorsed the same candidate, that person won his or her race. In just 16.9 percent of races in which the papers agreed did voters go the other way. (The papers agreed on a recommendation in 53 of the 90 races, or about 60 percent.)

And some of the areas of agreement were surprising, inasmuch as the more conservative R-J endorsed Democrats in some key races alongside the Sun: Both newspapers endorsed Democrat Kim Wallin over Republican David Schwartz for state treasurer (Wallin lost); both endorsed Democrat Ross Miller for attorney general over eventual winner, Republican Adam Laxalt; and both endorsed Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford over Assemblyman Cresent Hardy in the 4th Congressional District. Hardy won that race.

The trend continued in legislative races: The R-J and Sun jointly endorsed Assemblyman Jason Frierson, D-Las Vegas, for re-election. (Frierson lost in an ultra-close race to Republican John Moore.) Both newspapers endorsed incumbent Assemblyman James Healey, D-Las Vegas, although he lost to Republican Brent Jones. And both papers picked incumbent Clark County School Board Trustee Steven Corbett over surprise winner Kevin Child.

All told, in partisan races, the more conservative R-J endorsed 21 Democrats, while the more liberal Sun endorsed just five Republicans.

And the newspapers were in full agreement on all three ballot questions, endorsing the idea of an appellate court (which passed) as well as a repeal of the constitutional cap on mining taxes (it narrowly failed). They both opposed the Education Initiative, which went down by a 79 percent to 21 percent margin.