And Now, A Word on Those Who Didn't Even Show Up

Last night, the main attraction... Wait, scratch that. The NV-03 debate was the only debate at Ner Tamid Synagogue in Henderson. For some reason, the other candidates backed out of the candidates' debate.

Hmmmm, we wonder why...

Yep, this happened. pic.twitter.com/PatJmWufEh

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

So Ralston was left having a live "Face to Face" chat with Lt. Governor candidate Lucy Flores (D). During their chat in stage, Flores had the opportunity to speak directly to voters on why she's running for this office and what's the truth to all the TV ads they've been seeing lately. And yes, she actually took it.

Flores explained to Ralston and the audience how she can use the Lt. Governor's Office as a platform to pursue progress on a host of issues. She promised to work for better support for public education if elected. And she promised to ensure that efforts to bring more business to Nevada actually employ Nevada businesses.

Let's try this again. @LucyFlores w/ supporters after her opponent was no show. #DebateTime #Vegas #NVGov #lf4lg pic.twitter.com/jnGeC181eL

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

Ralston was probably hoping for at least some of the fireworks that exploded at Vegas PBS studios last week, but that didn't happen here. Nope, Mark Hutchison (R) was nowhere to be found.

And the same could be said about Clark County Sheriff candidate Joe Lombardo. He also backed out of the Ner Tamid debate. But why? Especially why would the "frontrunner" who likes to boast of his "superior qualifications" back out of a chance to directly show voters his "superior qualifications"?

So Ralston was left to interview Larry Burns solo. He answered a couple questions, somewhat evaded Ralston's final question, then stayed after Ralston left to speak directly with voters.

@BurnsForSheriff @ Ner Tamid, but no debate b/c opponent didn't show up. #Vegas #LVSheriff pic.twitter.com/mLkp00HH4G

— Andrew Davey (@atdleft) October 21, 2014

Can anyone guess the pet peeve that's irritating us today? At least Rep. Joe Heck (R) and Erin Bilbray (D) showed up to debate each other. Why couldn't Mark Hutchison and Joe Lombardo extend the same courtesy to Mr. Ralston, Ner Tamid, and local voters?

And don't get us started on the certain State Senator who was more than happy to saunter across the Ner Tamid stage in 2010, only to go into hiding now. We know exactly what he's up to. He can't stay in hiding forever.

The Numbers Don't Lie.

It's been a while since the last time we examined the voter registration numbers. But with another big election looming, we figured it's time to take a look at what's been happening lately.

Back in July 2012, Nevada Democrats had a 4.43% voter registration advantage (or around 47,500 raw votes). In July 2014, Nevada Democrats closed the month with a 64,983 raw vote lead. That means Nevada Democrats now have a 5.49% voter registration advantage.

For Clark County overall, Democrats now have a 13.29% advantage and 106,742 raw vote lead. In NV-03, Democrats now have a 1.1% advantage and 3,520 raw vote lead. And in NV-04 (overall, not just Clark County), Democrats now enjoy an 11.38% advantage and 33,546 raw vote lead.

And in case you were wondering about the hottest Nevada Legislature races of the year, here are the numbers to keep a close eye on. In the Summerlin South based State Senate District (SD 8), Republicans now have a mere 16 raw vote lead, which is so tiny that we have to go all the way to the thousandths to reach a percentage (0.003%). But in nearby SD 9 in the Southwest Vegas Valley, Democrats have jumped to a 3,628 raw vote lead, or a 6.53% registration advantage. And in the Henderson based SD 20, Republicans now stand at a mere 468 raw vote lead, or a 0.01% voter registration advantage.

Of course, the numbers can change some more in the next 10 weeks. The voter registration numbers certainly experienced some change during the final weeks of the 2012 cycle.

Early this year, some were wondering how Nevada Democrats could get their act together in a midterm year with no top of the ticket fireworks. Now, we have a better sense of how they may just pull it off. The numbers don't lie.

Something Different

Ever since her arrival in Carson City, she's been making waves. And now, she's ready to bring a tsunami into the Lieutenant Governor's Office.

Assembly Member Lucy Flores (D-North Las Vegas) knows she's doing something different. She's represented a minority-majority inner city district since 2011. She hasn't been afraid to take on issues like sex education, LGBTQ civil rights, mental health care, public school funding, and even medical marijuana (along with the legislative process). Clearly, she's not following "standard operating procedure" on "how to succeed on the Nevada political scene".



Yet now, Lucy Flores is running for Lt. Governor. She's running to provide a different perspective. She's running to represent those who often aren't even heard in Carson City.

Last weekend at the Nevada State Democratic Party Convention in Reno, Lucy Flores explained why she's running and why she's not afraid to offer something different to the table.



We know this whole race has turned out to be something quite different. With the "official top of the ticket" not being contested, the Lt. Governor race has become the "de facto top of the ticket". And even though the Lieutenant Governor's Office may not seem important at first glance, this year's election has turned into a different kind of choice.



But then again, is it all that different of a choice? There's Lucy Flores, someone who has overcome multiple life challenges and knows the challenges working class Nevada families face. And then, there's this.

Lucy Flores is offering something different this fall. And this Lt. Governor race should keep things interesting this year.

No Rebranding That "TEA"

This should come as no surprise to faithful readers of this site. "Republican rebranding" has been nothing but a majorly EPIC FAIL. Republican "leaders" can try as much soft lighting as they want, but that doesn't change the hard reality of the state of their party in 2014.

Here in Nevada and across the nation, the Republican Party has merely "rebranded" the same crazy "TEA" it's been hawking for the past 5 years. Don't believe us? Believe those primary results.

Still don't believe us? Then turn on your gawd damned TV! Really, grrl. Don't tell us you haven't seen this yet. And don't tell us you still haven't clocked this yet.

Oh, and let's not forget this. Even though Cresent Hardy loves him some "segregation laws" and Cliven Bundy, it's still not enough for Niger Innis and his deep pocketed BFFs. And that may actually be enough for Niger Innis to win the NV-04 G-O-TEA primary!

Get it now? They still like their "TEA" brewed extra strong over in G-O-TEA Land. And the 21st Century Know Nothings the call the shots.

Republican "leaders" can "rebrand" all they want, but they can't make us forget reality. There's ultimately no way to "rebrand" the "TEA" that's come to define the Republican Party of 2014. There's only the choice they're making as to how much more they want to drink.

It's the Field, Stupid

There's a strip mall on Eastern Avenue, near Sunset Park and a short drive away from the back end of Las Vegas' McCarran Airport. It doesn't look all that special at first glance. There's a grocery store. There are a few restaurants. And there are furniture stores.

But take a closer look. There's a new office that just opened there. And that office may very well make an impact on this fall's election results.

Those who have been reading this blog for a while have become quite familiar with the story of how Nevada Democrats win elections. And for those who haven't, here's a helpful hint: It's the field, stupid!









The Nevada State Democratic Party (NSDP) has become such a potent force in this state's politics because it's spent several election cycles building a reputation on field. And it has no plans to let it slide this cycle. So last Friday, over 300 grassroots Democrats came over to the new NSDP field office on Eastern... And caught a first glance of what lies ahead this year.

And they weren't the only ones taking in the scenery. Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) took some time out of his busy weekend schedule to stop by the new field office and greet a bunch of soon-to-be campaign volunteers.



So did Assembly Member & Lt. Governor candidate Lucy Flores (D). She came by to fire up the crowd and remind them of what's at stake this fall.



Shortly after, it was NV-03 candidate Erin Bilbray's turn at the podium. She talked about her history HERstory with Eastern Avenue, then made a contrast between her Nevada values and what her opponent, incumbent Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson), seems to value.



Her father, Former Rep. James Bilbray (D-Las Vegas), joined her, along with her mother, her husband, her children, other family members... And over 300 local grassroots Democratic activists. It was one large family affair.









And this probably won't be the last large family affair in this office in the strip mall on Eastern Avenue. In fact, this is only just the beginning. With so much at stake up & down the ballot this fall, Nevada Democrats don't want to leave anything to mere luck. Luck alone doesn't win elections.

So what does? Look above. Look back. And keep an eye going forward. It's the field, stupid.

Ours to Make

Let's just get this out of the way now: Outgoing Assembly Member & current Lt. Governor candidate Lucy Flores (D) kicked @ss on "Ralston Reports" last night. She drove the narrative. She generally answered Ralston's questions in the best way possible. And she came off far more polished than the two other candidates running in the other major party's primary for this race.

Yet with all this being said, there was one moment that gave many progressives at least a little heartburn. Of course, that was when Lucy Flores proposed an alternative to The Education Initiative (TEI). She said she has problems with TEI...

And she's not alone. Many state legislators do. Yet when it was in the Legislature last year, none of them proposed an alternative... Until it was too late. And even then, that supposed alternative was still very half-baked.

So now, the choice is this: TEI or nothing. And the choice is not Lucy Flores' to make for us. In fact, the choice is no longer in any one legislator's hands. It's now in our hands. The choice is now ours to make.

For years, this issue has been studied. Eventually, it became studied to death. We know our schools are "grossly underfunded". We know our business climate does suffer due to our gross underfunding of public education. We know our 19th century tax system is in dire need of 21st century reforms. And we know our Legislature has dragged its feet on tax reform for far too long, as it's only succeeded in delivering broken promises of reform.

This is why TEI happened. And this is why TEI will be on our ballot this fall. After seeing the same cycle of FAIL spin around for far too long, many thousands of Nevada citizens decided enough was enough. These citizens decided to break the cycle of #NVLeg #nved #FAIL by turning the decision of tax reform to "We the People" to make.

We're sick & tired of too late & half-baked alleged "alternatives". We're sick & tired of absurd straw men standing in the way of reform. And we're sick & tired of the long string of broken promises from Carson City. We're sick & tired of waiting for reform. TEI is now here, and it's the only tangible option for real reform now.

While we understand why Lucy Flores, Jon Ralston, and various other politicians & pundits have problems with TEI, we also recognize that the decision of long awaited & badly needed tax reform is no longer solely theirs to make. It's now ours to make. It's either TEI or nothing, and that decision will be made by all of us later this year.

The Meaning of Public Service

Earlier this week, we were discussing the ongoing plague of sexism in our society and our politics. Even now, some are still trying to justify misogyny as "morality", "art", "conviction", "fun", or something else. And it's having a strong influence on the major policy fights of our time.

This past spring, Assembly Member Lucy Flores (D-North Las Vegas) had to confront this head on. After she testified on comprehensive sex-ed legislation and shared her personal experience on the matter, she was confronted with horrific death threats and disgusting "slut shaming" from the state’s largest "newspaper" and its 21st Century Know Nothing allies. Despite these personal attacks, Assembly Member Flores continued to speak out and aid efforts to pass the sex-ed bill. The bill (AB 230) ultimately passed the Assembly, but died a rather mysterious death in the State Senate.

Yet since that fight, Lucy Flores has gained an even higher profile than the one she had before the 77th session (and that was already pretty high). In fact, it's now so high that there's a grassroots #WhyNotLucy campaign to draft #FierceFlores to run for Lieutenant Governor next year. Now talk about a meteoric rise...

And colossal fall? Early on, Lucy Flores looked like a potential frontrunner as enthusiasm was building for a possible statewide run. However, a major plot twist emerged this week. On Wednesday, Jon Ralston reported on whispers from prominent political power players that indicated growing buzz for Susie Lee.

And who is Susie Lee?

Lee is a longtime ally of state Board of Education member Elaine Wynn, and this flattering profile of her role in Communities in School shows her commitment on a key issue for voters. As one key insider put it: "Susie is smart, effective, aggressive. A longtime Nevadan.  Brings a unique set of skills to the position and to the campaign - is someone who can get things done. An education champion - long pushing an agenda of equal opportunity for quality education. Ties to gaming so understands value/role of Tourism to this economy. And has demonstrated a commitment to this community."

Oh, and her ability to self-finance.....

Susie Lee is close to Elaine Wynn, so Susie Lee is automatically assumed to have "the inside track" for winning statewide office. That's because Ms. Wynn has all the right "juice" with all the right people. Oh, and of course, she's a billionaire who served on the board of one of the state's top gaming companies.

Now don't get me wrong, Elaine Wynn has done many good things with her money. She has often given back to the community. And her politics (thankfully) doesn't match up with her ex-husband's.

Yet with that being said, Ms. Wynn has very strong ties to the school privatization "reform" campaign. We've discussed before the fallacy behind the promise of "school reform". And far too many in Southern Nevada have had to learn this the hard way.

Perhaps Susie Lee will offer something different. After all she's running, not Elaine Wynn. But then again, Lee's well connected allies seem be promoting her by talking up her ties to Wynn. And until Susie Lee articulates her own policy platform, we won't know for sure if her plan is really all that different from Wynn's.

Lucy Flores, however, already has a record. She's already been tested in campaigns. And she clearly knows how to fight back when opponents attack.

Fortunately for everyone involved, sexism isn't the issue this time (at least for now). Both prospective Democratic Lt. Gubernatorial candidates are women, and that in and of itself says something. Now, it's a matter of who, what, and why these candidates stand for. Public office is supposed to be about public service. And as we learn more about these candidates and all the other candidates announcing for the 2014 cycle, we need to ask them all if they truly understand the meaning of public service.

All too often, it's easy to forget this as we experience the day-to-day hurly burly of contemporary American politics. Who's up? Who's down? Who has the most "juice"? Who has the most money? Who has the party bosses? And who has the inside track?

How about who has the best vision for this state's future? Who has articulated smart policy proposals? And who truly wants to demonstrate good public service? These are the kinds of merits we need to see more in Carson City.

So far, Lucy Flores shows promise in this regard. And maybe Susie Lee will be able to prove she's more than just "juiced up". We just have to keep in mind the meaning of public service as we're about to choose new public servants.

NV-LtGov: The BIG Stonewall Debate!

So after I helped Joyce Woodhouse take Henderson & Southeast Vegas on Saturday, it was time for me to head to Fabulous Downtown Las Vegas for Stonewall's big event of primary season! Yes, my dears, three of the four Democrats running for Lieutenant Governor (Jessica Sferrazza had a scheduling conflict) stopped by to discuss the issues with us one more time before the final day of primary voting tomorrow.

But instead of boring you with repeats of everything that's already been discussed here, we'll go through the issues here and point out some things that haven't been talked about yet.



- All three candidates expressed their full support for the LGBTQ community (including transgender inclusive anti-discrimination legislation), but the three differed on how best to recruit good companies who will be good for the community. Paul Murad said he has already been making connections to our community, and he can recruit more LGBTQ-friendly companies and major LGBTQ conventions, events, and parties to come to Nevada. Robert Randazzo said he will work with all the companies he recruits here to treat all their workers equally and be responsive to Nevada's LGBTQ community. Bob Goodman, meanwhile, pledged to listen to the community and bring jobs back for everyone in Nevada.

- A couple questions were asked about Arizona and SB 1070, and the candidates seemed to agree at first in all opposing the law... But then, they diverged. Paul Murad said he's already been working on recruiting a Latino film festival to come here (obviously, they no longer feel welcome in Arizona), and described how his lessons as an immigrant himself remind him why SB 1070 is immoral. Bob Goodman said he talks with "Mexicans" in the "Latin community" and opposes SB 1070, but also said Nevada needs to stay out of the Arizona fight by not trying to use SB 1070 to snatch companies away from Arizona. Robert Randazzo then said Nevada shouldn't overtly make an anti-SB 1070 case to Arizona companies lest that fuel the flames for anti-immigrant forces to do something similar here, but he also said he's work his hardest to make sure nothing like that would happen here next year.

- I was actually able to get a question in on train service from Las Vegas to Southern California, and making sure a new Vegas high-speed rail line connects to the California High Speed Rail line. Paul Murad said he'd support whichever train(s) work(s) best, regardless of who's been politicking the most or least, to move people between Vegas and SoCal and work with California leaders to make it happen, as well as eventually put together a more comprehensive high-speed rail network connecting Las Vegas and Reno to Northern California, Southern California, and Arizona. Bob Goodman says he's worked with California before on a number of transportation issues, and he's ready again to go to bat for DesertXpress. Robert Randazzo also said DesertXpress is the most promising, as it's already secured private funding, but did add that it must go all the way from Downtown Las Vegas to Downtown Los Angeles to actually succeed (otherwise, no one will want to ride from somewhere ridiculously off-Strip to Victorville).

- And toward the end, we had had quite the discussion on education! Everyone got into it, and we started taking questions and comments from the audience. Paul Murad said his college education abroad best prepared him for the Lt. Gov. job, but Robert Randazzo explained how his own experience in the airline industry prepared him... And then, the audience started breaking out with all sorts of comments! Bob Goodman said the Lt. Gov. job doesn't have to do with state education policy, but then an audience member objected and said economic development is directly tied to education. Murad then tried to take that idea further, but it ended up being a back and forth with numerous audience members that kept me on the edge of my seat!

All in all, this wasn't exactly the debate I had expected. And you know what? That was a good thing! We heard some interesting questions, and even more interesting answers! You can check my Twitter for even more from Saturday night. And again, it was great to see so many great progressive Democrats light up that patio at The Arts Factory! Whoever wins the primary, I'm feeling pretty good about our chances to get one of them elected in November. :-)