NYE COUNTY, Nev.—The Nye County Licensing and Liquor Board on Tuesday pulled brothel magnate and current Nevada State Assembly candidate Dennis Hof's license to operate his Love Ranch, which is located in the county, due to a failure to apply for its license renewal and to pay the attendant fees by the required deadline.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that this is the first time in the 10-year tenure of Nye County commissioner Lorinda Wichman, who chairs the authoritative board, that the county has completely revoked a brothel license. The news outlet also noted that Hof failed to renew the license on time last year as well, but was allowed to keep it for unspecified reasons. However, the county proceeded to suspend the license in February following disputes over illegal signs posted at the Love Ranch and purported renovations to trailers on the property.
The board approved license renewals for three other Nye County brothels on Tuesday. Hof owns five other brothels elsewhere in the state. In June, he won the primary election to become the Republican candidate for Nevada Assembly District 36, beating out three-time incumbent James Oscarson. Hof has previously blamed his tussles with the local government on Oscarson's ire over being challenged. He has no intention of giving in to political miring, though; according to the Review-Journal, when Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly showed up to the Love Ranch Tuesday with an order to close, the manager there refused to comply.
Hof faces off in November with Democratic candidate Lesia Romanov for the Assembly seat. With District 36's heavily Republican constituency, he is expected to win.
In order to continue operating the Love Ranch, Hof must file a new brothel license application with Nye County.
