Nevada's new congressman Dennis Hof is a brothel owner - and he's dead

Dennis Hof is Nevada's new congressman - except he died last month.

Arguably the single biggest winner in the US Midterms is a brothel owner who has been elected as a congressman for Nevada.

But don't expect to see Republican Dennis Hof achieve anything in his new political career - he's dead.

Hof died last month, soon after celebrating his 72nd birthday by having sex with one of his prostitute employees.

It was too late to remove his name from the ballot paper, where Hof stood for the Nevada State Assembly - and voters selected him, despite widespread coverage of his death. Posters displayed at polling stations detailing his death.

Hof's campaign manager Chuck Muth told Reuters that people who voted for him knew he would be replaced with another Republican by party officials.

"There are a lot of Republicans who were uncomfortable voting for Dennis because of the nature of his business, and they now know that he is not the one who will be serving," he said.

"They will feel much more comfortable casting the ballot for him knowing there will be another Republican to replace him."

Hof defeated Democratic challenger Lesia Romanov. A replacement for the now vacant seat is expected to be appointed.

Hof had nicknamed himself the "Trump from Pahrump," after the town where he lived in Nevada.

Hof died at his Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, on October 16 shortly after having sex with prostitute Dasha Dare. Hof was 72.

Hours earlier he had attended a rally for his campaign to win a seat in the Nevada state assembly in GOP-popular District 36.

Hof, whose favorite color was red, had chosen a bright candied-apple coffin several years before he died.

Bob Zmuda, founder of Comic Relief USA told mourners at his funeral that "Dennis lived himself to death" and recalled how Hof told him "I need a relationship because I need someone to cheat on".

Zmuda told the audience: "Dennis couldn't have scripted his death any better, he died after having sex with a hooker".