Dennis Hof was the Republican nominee this year for a heavily GOP legislative district and owned a handful of brothels in Nevada, the only state that allows them to legally operate. | AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki Politics Nevada brothel owner and Republican state legislature candidate dies

LAS VEGAS — Nevada authorities say a brothel owner and Republican candidate for the state legislature, who gained popularity for an HBO series about his business, has died.

Nye County sheriff Lt. David Boruchowitz said an employee at Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch brothel outside of Las Vegas summoned authorities a little before 11 a.m. Tuesday after Hof was found unresponsive and not breathing.


Boruchowitz says there is no sign of foul play.

Hof was the Republican nominee this year for a heavily GOP legislative district. Ballots have already been printed in the race and it wasn’t immediately clear how elections officials would handle Hof’s death.

He owned a handful of brothels in Nevada, the only state that allows them to legally operate.

Hof ran for office in 2016 as a Libertarian but lost the race.

This year, he ran as a Republican and earned backing from Trump associate Roger Stone and tax-cut activist Grover Norquist.

He upended Nevada politics this summer when he ousted an incumbent Republican lawmaker in a primary, celebrating at an election night party with “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss.

He said an anti-brothel push and regulatory problems he’s faced this year were political retribution.