Scenes from the Campaign Trail in NV-03

Late last night, we saw another Clark County update on early voting turnout here. Countywide, Democrats now have a 17.70% turnout advantage. In NV-03, Democrats have a 4.79% turnout advantage as of last night. In the Clark County portion of NV-04, Democrats so far have a 22.13% turnout advantage. And in the key State Debate Districts 5, 6, 9, and 18 which will determine control of the Nevada Legislature next year, Democrats so far have turnout advantages of 7.99% (SD 5), 10.83% (SD 6), 8.01% (SD 9), and 1.02% (SD 18). Overall and in most parts of Clark County, Democratic turnout continues to overperform voter registration.

So how is this happening? As we discussed last Sunday, it's all about the field now. We saw this on display again yesterday when local Sierra Club volunteers knocked doors in the Green Valley (aka SD 5) neighborhoods of NV-03 with John Oceguera. Everyone took part in turning out more Democrats to vote early...







And afterward, the candidate himself joined some volunteers in making "Get Out the Vote" (GOTV) phone calls!

And that's not all. Throughout last week, the local Nevada Democratic "Super Organizer" and local volunteers also canvassed the expansive and just recently developed Southwest part of the valley (aka SD 9). Since there were not as many early voting sites in the Southwest Vegas Valley as in other parts of the valley during the first week of early voting, it was imperative to reach these neighborhoods and turn out as many Democratic voters as possible.

And yes, John Oceguera himself also stopped by last Sunday to walk here himself. He's certainly taking his campaigning seriously.







There's clearly been plenty of work done by Nevada Democrats in the past week. But in the end, they're hoping all this work will be rewarded in President Obama and Shelley Berkley winning, along with the local Congressional and Legislature candidates. And so far, it looks like Nevada Democrats are laying the groundwork for just that. We'll just have to wait and see how Week 2 of early voting continues.

NV-03: Surprise @ the KSNV Studio

Probably as I'm writing this, the final NV-03 debate may be starting to wrap up. (It will air later tonight on KSNV 3.) This time, Jon Ralston is hosting. And it's probably no holds barred.

Outside the KSNV studio near Downtown Las Vegas, this is how Joe Heck was "greeted".



A group of Nevada Democrats rallied outside the studio. I guess they just wanted to give Heck a little reminder of what's coming his way.

Perhaps this is why John Oceguera was much happier when he saw the activists.





Oceguera was quite happy to see supporters cheering him in. And actually, he may not have even known they were coming. So it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

I guess this qualifies as one of the lighter moments on the campaign trail. Every once in a while, it's OK to let loose for a spell. And it's OK to rally outside a TV studio.

Scenes from the Campaign Trail: Old Henderson

Often when we think about Henderson today, our minds immediately ascend to well manicured, white-collar suburban enclaves like Green Valley and Anthem. However, we often forget about the history of Henderson, especially the living history still standing in Old Henderson.

Old Henderson definitely has a different vibe to it. Walking the streets, one can observe how the neighborhoods have matured since being built 50-70 years ago as housing for industrial workers. It's still very much a blue-collar area, and the older, less uniform houses and apartment complexes stand in stark contrast to the master plans and HOA drama of newer, more glamorous parts of town.

Yesterday, Sam Bateman knocked doors in Old Henderson after marching in the local Heritage Parade. And of course, I joined along, as I was curious to see what voters here were thinking. There were complaints about the police not doing their job here, concerns about rude neighbors throwing loud parties at night, and mistrust of certain politicians that have long neglected this part of the city.

You see, we have our own inner city problems to tackle here in Henderson. It's not all "Real Housewives" style drama in gated McMansion communities here. We also have an urban core in need of attention, and really in need of some old fashioned TLC. I must admit I was glad to see Sam knocking on doors here and listening to the residents, especially as someone running in Ward 4, an area better known for our culture of white-collar suburbia.

Hopefully Sam and other local Henderson leaders remember that we really are a diverse city full of neighborhoods with their own unique needs. Old Henderson doesn't end at Water Street and Lake Mead Parkway. There's more work to be done, and locals there are hoping for the city and local businesses to work alongside them.

Scenes from the Campaign Trail: Stonewall @ Arts Factory

On Wednesday, Stonewall had its monthly meeting at The Arts Factory in Downtown Las Vegas. And as expected, there were some interesting guests. Coming off last week's nail-biter of a primary, Chris Giunchigliani dropped by to chat with folks on the state of the race and why she's "in it to win it".

She explained her commitment to "building a community a neighborhood at a time", why she was concerned about AB 548, getting film production studios to make more movies and TV shows in Las Vegas, and much more. When she's on a roll talking good policy, one just doesn't want her to stop.











Las Vegas Council candidate Bob Coffin also stopped by, and he also went into detail on some local policy matters on his mind. In particular, he was discussing the need to keep The 18b Arts District on the front burner as Downtown rehabilitation and renovation continues. Even as Fremont East is becoming the city's new "urban hot spot", Coffin was reminding the crowd that there are people and small businesses there in 18b that still need some TLC from the city.

Another interesting guest at Wednesday's gathering was Henderson City Council candidate Sam Bateman. He stopped by to thank Henderson members for supporting him, and to remind everyone that Ward 4 will be on the ballot again in June. He also discussed inner city redevelopment in Henderson, non-discrimination policies, and local government transparency.

Heh. And you thought everyone would be asking them about marriage and "Glee". ;-)

See, we queer folk can think bigger and more broadly. And it was nice to hear all this fun local policy talk at the Stonewall meeting. My ears kept ringing for joy!

Alas, if only the rest of the campaign season could be like this...