Assembly candidate and brothel owner Dennis Hof has died at 72
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Tue, 10/16/2018 - 12:01pm
It has been reported that Nevada brothel owner and Assembly candidate Dennis Hof died in his sleep at the Love Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, on October 16. Police do not suspect foul play.
Dennis Hof, who called himself the “Trump from Pahrump,” has long been a notorious figure in Northern Nevada.
During his career, Hof owned seven brothels in Nevada, with the most notable being the Moonlite BunnyRanch in Mound House, which earned itself an HBO series named “Cathouse,” which ran from 2002 to 2014.
Hof was also the president of the Nevada Brothel Owners’ Association, in addition to being their lobbyist.
Numerous controversies followed Hof throughout his career. In 1999, he was accused of death threats against Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Putzer, after Putzer allegedly uncovered documents showing Hof had set up prostitution rings in countries where prostitution was illegal.
In 2016, he was accused of rape, harassment and assault by a previous employee, and after he began running for office in Nevada, additional accusers stepped forward reporting similar incidences.
In 2015, he joined the Libertarian Party after supporting Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul in the 2008 and 2012 elections.
In 2016, he claimed to be a “Trump Republican,” and gave himself the name the “Trump from Pahrump.”
He ran for a seat in the Nevada State Legislature in 2016 and 2018, first as a Libertarian and then as a Republican.
On October 16, he passed away in his sleep. Though police have stated they don’t believe foul play was involved, those who were with him the night before claimed he had seemed in fine health.
He won the primary election to represent Assembly District 26, and was running against Democrat Lisa Romanov in the November elections.
In a statement from Lyon County, they said, "[We have] received the news that Dennis Hoff has passed away, and express our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Hof. Mr. Hof has been a long time businessman in Lyon County. He has contributed thousands of dollars to many charities over the years. He has been a controversial figure in local and state politics."
Lyon County officials have been asked how Mr. Hof's death affects Lyon County Question 1.
County Manager Jeff Page explained the question will remain on the ballot. The question addresses legalized prostitution, regardless of who owns [the brothels].
This is a developing story.
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