Sonya Douglass Horsford, the wife of Rep. Steven Horsford, described her disappointment with her husband on Twitter for deciding to run for reelection after he revealed two years ago that had a decade-long affair with a former Senate intern.
Mrs. Horsford said she has remained silent for almost two years. She wanted to say she and her children are “not enjoying the pain” which they “continue to suffer” since Mr. Horsford, Nevada Democrat, told her “about his 10-year affair AFTER already speaking to his staff and attorneys.”
She continued in a subsequent tweet, “And that he would choose to file for reelection and force us to endure yet another season of living through the sordid details of the #horsfordaffair with #mistressforcongress rather than granting us the time and space to heal as a family.”
She added, “this election cycle, I will not be silent.”
Mrs. Horsford explained that she and her family did not ask to be put in public life and were only supporting her husband’s political career because “that’s what we understood family to be and do.”’
“We just want to heal and live the amazing lives we’ve been destined to live, free of lies, manipulation, and unbridled ambition,” she said.
Mr. Horsford admitted in May 2020 he had a long-time affair with Gabriela Linder, a former intern with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. He said then he had broken it off the previous autumn.
She discussed the relationship in a series of podcasts titled “Mistress for Congress.”
Mr. Horsford was first elected in 2012 in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District to one term but he lost his reelection bid.
But he returned to Congress after defeating Republican Crescent Hardy in 2018 to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Ruben Kihuen, a Democrat who did not seek reelection after allegations of sexual harassment.
Ms. Linder was 21 and an intern for then-Sen. Harry Reid in his Las Vegas office when she first met Mr. Horsford, then majority leader of the Nevada Senate.
During their relationship, Ms. Linder said, Mr. Horsford provided financial support and helped elevate her political network.
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Horsford for comment Tuesday evening and did not immediately hear back.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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