Las Vegas is the most famous Although it’s famous for its glitzy casinos along the Strip, it’s also a constant political battleground. That’s partly because the region is a transitional region within a transition state, a place where people move in and out rapidly and adds new voters each election cycle.
The instability is compounded by the fact that the state’s demographics skew young and the number of new voter registrations continues to rise. Much of that increase is due to Hispanic voters, who make up more than 20 percent of Nevada voters.
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Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa Martinez
Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
Livier Maxwell
Livier Maxwell
Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa Martinez
Marco Hernandez
Marco Hernandez
Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Alfonso N. Lopez
Alfonso N. Lopez
Rafael Cerros Jr.
Rafael Cerros Jr.
Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
Marco Hernandez
Marco Hernandez
Livier Maxwell
Livier Maxwell
Rafael Cerros Jr.
Rafael Cerros Jr.
Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa Martinez
Livier Maxwell
Livier Maxwell
Alfonso N. Lopez
Alfonso N. Lopez
Rafael Cerros Jr.
Rafael Cerros Jr.
Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
Marco Hernandez
Marco Hernandez
Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa Martinez
Livier Maxwell
Livier Maxwell
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
“When people think of Las Vegas,
“When people think of Las Vegas,
They tend to think of strips and bright lights, but
They tend to think of strips and bright lights, but
gambling. ”
gambling. ”
“‘Do you live in Las Vegas?’
“‘Do you live in Las Vegas?’
That place is not a good place for children. ”
That place is not a good place for children. ”
I heard that. ”
I heard that. ”
“As you know, Las Vegas is more than just the Strip.”
“As you know, Las Vegas is more than just the Strip.”
“It’s nice and calm.
“It’s nice and calm.
A place where someone would want to raise a family. ”
A place where someone would want to raise a family. ”
“I was born and raised in Mexico,
“I was born and raised in Mexico,
I immigrated like most people here in Las Vegas. ”
I immigrated like most people here in Las Vegas. ”
“I’m from Uruguay.”
“I’m from Uruguay.”
“I’m from Mexico City.”
“I’m from Mexico City.”
“I’m a third-generation Mexican-American.”
“I’m a third-generation Mexican-American.”
“Our Latin Americans, we are hustlers.”
“Our Latin Americans, we are hustlers.”
“I’m a working-class guy and I have two jobs.
“I’m a working-class guy and I have two jobs.
I sleep 2-3 hours a day.
I sleep 2-3 hours a day.
That’s all I need to sleep. ”
That’s all I need to sleep. ”
“I’m the vice president of the union.”
“I’m the vice president of the union.”
“I’m a housewife.”
“I’m a housewife.”
“The Republican approach is to
“The Republican approach is to
They know the power we have as Latinos. ”
They know the power we have as Latinos. ”
“I feel like I’ve seen a lot of pandering.
“I feel like I’ve seen a lot of pandering.
From the Democratic side to capture the Latino vote. ”
From the Democratic side to capture the Latino vote. ”
“So it’s a very complex community.”
“So it’s a very complex community.”
“There are Guatemalans, there are Ecuadorians,
“There are Guatemalans, there are Ecuadorians,
You have Cubans. ”
You have Cubans. ”
“I think it’s infuriating to me. They put us all in the bucket.”
“I think it’s infuriating to me. They put us all in the bucket.”
“What issues are important to me? Right now it’s the economy.”
“What issues are important to me? Right now it’s the economy.”
“peace.”
“peace.”
“Safety –
“Safety –
For example, we want our children to be safe. ”
For example, we want our children to be safe. ”
“I think they’re immigrants.”
“I think they’re immigrants.”
“What do I think when there are politicians?”
“What do I think when there are politicians?”
Talk about the Latino vote?
Talk about the Latino vote?
I don’t think they even know what they’re talking about.
I don’t think they even know what they’re talking about.
That’s how I got it.
That’s how I got it.
It’s politics.
It’s politics.
They need votes. ”
They need votes. ”
Nevada Democrats have won the state for nearly two decades, making it an integral part of their path to the White House. But the Democratic Party’s popularity here has declined recently. Latino voters frequently cite the economy and housing as their top concerns, and many say they are deeply dissatisfied with the political parties they once supported.
sluggish economy
In Las Vegas, no issue is more important than the economy. Spend a few minutes talking to voters and they’ll tell you about the prices of groceries, gas, rent, electricity, etc., or all of the above.
Working-class voters are particularly concerned about the cost of housing, with renters struggling to keep up with monthly payments and an increasing number of people seeing homeownership as out of reach.
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Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa Martinez
Alfonso N. Lopez
Alfonso N. Lopez
Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa Martinez
Alfonso N. Lopez
Alfonso N. Lopez
Jonathan Ocampos
Jonathan Ocampos
“Buying a house.
“Buying a house.
That’s what I want.
That’s what I want.
Secure your family’s future. ”
Secure your family’s future. ”
“Large companies and corporations
“Large companies and corporations
They are buying a house in Las Vegas.
They are buying a house in Las Vegas.
And they make it more expensive for us.
And they make it more expensive for us.
For young people it will be double. ”
For young people it will be double. ”
“When my parents were the same age as me,
“When my parents were the same age as me,
They already own multiple properties;
They already own multiple properties;
And I’m still trying to catch up. ”
And I’m still trying to catch up. ”
“My daughters, they’re in their early 30s.
“My daughters, they’re in their early 30s.
And it’s impossible for them.
And it’s impossible for them.
Both are rented homes, so
Both are rented homes, so
And they pay too much rent.
And they pay too much rent.
Their rents have gone up. ”
Their rents have gone up. ”
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to buy a house.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to buy a house.
However, that seems like an impossible dream. ”
However, that seems like an impossible dream. ”
“I’m glad to hear Kamala Harris has a plan.”
“I’m glad to hear Kamala Harris has a plan.”
For first-time home buyers.
For first-time home buyers.
I hope my daughters take advantage of that. ”
I hope my daughters take advantage of that. ”
“From my perspective, Trump is the best path forward.
“From my perspective, Trump is the best path forward.
If houses are expensive, let’s get rid of regulations.
If houses are expensive, let’s get rid of regulations.
That way we can build more houses. ”
That way we can build more houses. ”
Livier Maxwell, a 41-year-old stay-at-home mom, moved to Las Vegas from San Diego more than a decade ago. The main reason was that they believed the economic opportunities would be better. Here, her family can live comfortably only on her husband’s salary.
Maxwell said she plans to vote enthusiastically for former President Donald J. Trump this year because she believes he will help improve the economy.
“Things were better for me when he was president. There was more money in the bank,” she said.
The pandemic hit Las Vegas particularly hard, with casinos on the Strip closed for months in 2020 and an economy dependent on tourism ground to a halt. Although the situation has improved dramatically since four years ago, when about 90% of the members of the powerful Culinary Union were unemployed, many workers say they have not recovered.
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Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
Etelvina Zamora Esquivel
I used to be a pit clerk.
I used to be a pit clerk.
Around all the tables where there are dealers,
Around all the tables where there are dealers,
You must fill the table with chips.
You must fill the table with chips.
And like 4am, we have to count,
And like 4am, we have to count,
Make sure everything matches.
Make sure everything matches.
I was there for 22 years.
I was there for 22 years.
After the pandemic, everything changed.
After the pandemic, everything changed.
There are not many visitors either.
There are not many visitors either.
And they let us go.
And they let us go.
My husband also quit his job after a year.
My husband also quit his job after a year.
It was difficult.
It was difficult.
It’s very, very difficult.
It’s very, very difficult.
Suldenil Álvarez Loriga, 45, immigrated from Cuba nearly 10 years ago and came to Las Vegas after seeing the glitzy Strip on TV. But in recent years, Alvarez-Loriga has been shocked to find she has to work two or three jobs just to pay the bills.
“I don’t have time to see my family, so I have to work all the time,” she said. “But what other choice do we have?”
In recent weeks, Alvarez Loriga has joined other members of the Culinary Workers Union, including Jolene Reyes, who works at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, in door-to-door efforts to drum up support for Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. is knocking.
“She understands what we’re going through and I think she’s going to make things better for people like us,” Reyes said.
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