Jones Blackhurst was born in Los Angeles, California, raised in Santa Monica, and graduated from Stanford University in 1971.
During her time in office, Las Vegas' population grew significantly; Jones Blackhurst was credited for making the city "more livable"[2] and directing attention towards social issues such as homelessness and LGBT rights.
[2][3] While mayor of Las Vegas, Jones Blackhurst ran for Nevada governor twice, losing significantly in the 1994 Democratic primary to then-incumbent Bob Miller, and, after gaining the Democratic nomination in 1998, being defeated in the general election in 1998 by Kenny Guinn, the Republican nominee.
[2] After leaving the office of mayor, Jones Blackhurst worked for Caesars Entertainment,[1] later serving as Executive Vice President.
[3] As of July 2021, Jones Blackhurst sits on the board of directors of several organizations: Caesars Entertainment,[4] the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority,[5] Sunrise Hospital, and the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, which owns Allegiant Stadium.