Opening remarks
It’s our favorite season, Campaign Season!
Campaign season is in full swing! Large 4x8 campaign signs have cropped up on most busy intersections in Nevada and smaller signs are popping up in your neighbors' yards. It’s also Spring, which means the Windy Season in the state. Many candidates find themselves chasing down, rehanging or repairing their damaged assets.
A campaign tool not quite as susceptible to the wind is the airwaves (no pun intended). Last night as I watched the news, a pro John Lee for Governor ad came on telling me how great a conservative he was, immediately followed by an ad that discredited his conservative record.
Our phones are ringing off the hook with energetic new candidates and incumbents that want to meet and ask for financial support. It’s great. We get to learn a lot about them and discuss what’s important to our clients. We really enjoy this part of the job.
It’s also polling season so next time your phone rings and it’s a number you don’t recognize, answer it and participate. You’ll see later in this roundup a couple stories about recent polls published that give some insight on the statewide races. There are more to come. Next week I’ll have my insights on how polls are conducted and why (sometimes) the information is important to the voter and important to the candidates.
Important Deadlines
Primary Early Voting | May 28 – June 10 |
Primary Election | Tuesday June 14, 2022 |
General Early Voting | October 22 – November 4 |
General Election | Tuesday November 8, 2022 |
ICYMI
The Cook Political Report changes CD3 and CD4 ratings from “Lean Democratic” to “Toss-Up”
During redistricting and reapportionment last year, the Democratically controlled legislature used a "divide and conquer" strategy when redrawing the congressional district boundaries: divide the democratic stronghold of NV-01 (Dina Titus) in order to strengthen the slight advantage democrats enjoy in NV-03 and NV-04 to ensure a Democratic "conquer" in 2022, though this move, as David Wasserman explains, may instead result in catastrophe:
NV-03: Susie Lee (D) - Parts of Las Vegas, Summerlin
…Republicans appear to be consolidating behind real estate attorney April Becker, who lost a 2020 state senate race by 631 votes and just got GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy's backing. Lee won't lack resources, but it's a Toss Up.
NV-04 Steven Horsford (D) - North Las Vegas, southern "Cow Counties"
If there's a consolation for Horsford, it's that Republicans are headed for a bruising June 14 primary between Assemblywoman Annie Black, who made waves attending the January 6 rally and defying mask mandates at the state capital, and insurance businessman Sam Peters, a retired Air Force major and pro-Trump activist. GOP strategists don't consider either to be out of central casting. But in this climate, even a weak GOP nominee could prevail.
How much money do top Nevada candidates have heading into primary season?
Quarter 1 Contributions and Expense (C&E) reports were due last Friday. In general, fundraising numbers provide insight into just how competitive a campaign expects their race for office may be. While both Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Governor Steve Sisolak have multiple times more money than their top opponents in the respective Republican primaries, the sheer of amount of dollars both campaigns are raising indicate both campaigns expect a tough general election in November.
Results from OH Predictive Insights/Nevada Independent poll:
Healthcare News
Governor Sisolak Hosts Healthcare Provider Summit
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was the keynote guest speaker and announced that his department will be awarding $1 million to Nevada to assist with the transition to the new 3-digit state suicide prevention hotline: 9-8-8. The state plans to launch 9-8-8 this July. Furthermore, Governor Sisolak announced he plans to allocate $20 million of ARPA funds to open four to six crisis stabilization centers to help address behavior health needs in the state.
First awards From Nevada Opioid Settlement Money Announced
The Nevada Attorney General's Office has announced the first round of disbursements for money from the state's opioid settlement. The state and each signatory to the One Nevada Agreement, the plan for how funds from any opioid-related settlement will be allocated, are set to receive a total of $71.1 million, before costs." Clark County will receive around $26.3 million in settlement funds. Washoe County will receive approximately $3.7 million.
Nevada Health Response to End Regular COVID-19 Media Call
In another sign that the government is transitioning to a post-pandemic routine, the state announced today that it plans is cancelling the recurring COVID-19 call with media. Going forward, the media updates will be scheduled on an as needed basis.
Infrastructure News
Granholm, Lee, Cortez Masto tout Nevada’s role in clean energy
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Southern Nevada last week on a tour that highlighted the state's clean energy initiatives and decarbonization efforts. “We’ve got to have a focus as a nation on getting critical materials, critical minerals for the batteries that these electric vehicles will need,” Granholm said. “[Nevada has] a lot of that. And so that is a huge opportunity.”
LVCVA Shortens their Operating Agreement with The Boring Co.
Board members voted 11-1 Tuesday to spend up to $4.5 million for a one-year agreement with Boring from July 1 to June 30, 2023. The board approved the first Loop operations and management agreement on Jan. 12, 2021. The initial term of the agreement is from Feb. 1, 2021, through June 30, and at the time provided for an extension of one additional five-year period. Tuesday’s vote changed the five-year extension.
Circa Sports expanding into the Reno market
The operator of the world’s largest sportsbook in Las Vegas, Circa Sports, secured a deal with Legends Bay Casino owner Olympia Gaming to operate a sportsbook at the property being constructed just east of Reno. Olympia Gaming is targeting a summer opening for its new casino at the Legends at Sparks Marina.
Google to invest $30 million in Nevada
Google announced plans to invest $30 million in Nevada over the rest of 2022, part of a push to put billions of dollars into offices and data centers around the U.S.
State of Nevada launches dashboard tracking relief spending
The State has released a dashboard to allow residents to track how federal relief funds are being spent and allocated throughout the state. So far, the largest spending categories are PreK - 12 Education ($1.35 billion), Direct Payments to Counties and Cities ($890 million) and Housing ($842 million). The state has a little over $1.1 billion left to allocate.
Click here to view the latest program spending in detail.
Environmental News
Federal agency weighs emergency action as Colorado River demand outpaces supply
The river’s two main storage reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at historically low levels and operating in uncharted territory. Federal water managers have warned the Colorado River Basin States that they are considering an emergency action that proposes to keep more water in Lake Powell but could accelerate the decline of Lake Mead, potentially risking short-term water cuts. State officials are expected to comment on the federal emergency plan by April 22.
Southwest Gas to explore alternative in Icahn’s bid
“Tendering into Mr. Icahn’s offer would only encourage an opportunistic attempt to acquire Southwest Gas at an inadequate price and contingent upon a long list of ambiguous conditions, some of which Mr. Icahn has made no move to fulfill,” according to a statement by the Las Vegas based utility.
What we’re doing this Interim
The 2021 Nevada Legislature passed Assembly Bill 443, Legislation that fundamentally changed the way the Legislature operates between Sessions. The newly formed Interim Standing Committees have begun meeting, hearing overviews of their mission and setting agendas for the next eleven months.
They continue to meet via video conference but we’re hopeful that by Spring some will begin to meet in person. Click here to view a list of upcoming Joint Interim Standing Committee meetings.
2021 Redistricting Maps
The new boundaries would give 14 of the 21 state Senate districts and 27 of the 42 Assembly districts a voter registration advantage for Democrats over Republicans of more than 4.5 percent.
The Nevada Independent
Please see the links below to view the new district lines for Nevada Assembly, Senate and Congressional delegation.