Nevada Democrats Call In Obama For Campaign Help Amid Fears Of GOP Wave

Topline

Former President Barack Obama will campaign for two Democrats at risk of losing their seats in November—U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Gov. Steve Sisolak — as Republicans’ chances of gaining control of Congress have improved in recent weeks.

Key Facts

Obama will attend a rally in Las Vegas on November 1 for the two Democrats who are locked in tight races, both of whom are also scheduled to speak at the event, the Associated Press reported.

Obama, who won the state in 2008 and again in 2012, is also expected to highlight Attorney General Aaron Ford, Secretary of State candidate Cisco Aguilar and Reps. Susie Lee and Steven Horsford.

Early voting, which begins in person on October 22 and runs through November 4 in Nevada, will reportedly be a focal point at the rally.

The Nevada visit is just one of several campaign stops Obama, still one of the most popular figures in the Democratic party, will make in the coming weeks: He is also scheduled to travel to Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin as Democrats try to hang onto control of the Senate with a series of tight races across the country.

President Joe Biden, whose low approval ratings have become a prominent talking point for GOP candidates, has not visited Nevada during the midterm campaign season; he is scheduled to travel to Pennsylvania to stump for Senate candidate John Fetterman on Thursday.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has also visited Nevada to rally with GOP senatorial candidate Adam Laxalt and gubernatorial nominee Joe Lombardo, and is scheduled to hold a rally for Gov. Greg Abbott and Republican congressional candidate Monica De La Cruz in South Texas on Saturday.

Key Background

Cortez Masto, a one-term incumbent, has lost her lead over Republican nominee Adam Laxalt in recent weeks, according to FiveThirtyEight’s poll tracker showing Laxalt with less than a one-point lead, a shift from last month when Cortez Masto led by nearly four points. Polls in the gubernatorial race have followed a similar trend–Lombardo is up by one point over Sisolak, according to FiveThirtyEight, compared to early September, when Sisolak led by more than two points. The swing state typically votes Democrat, but by small margins, and voter registration is evenly divided among Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters.

Big Number

2-in-3: Those are the Democrats’ chances of holding onto the Senate, which is currently split 50-50, according to FiveThirtyEight. Republicans have a 3-in-4 chance of securing the majority in the House, where Democrats hold a 222-213 majority, FiveThirtyEight forecasts. Voters are nearly split over which party’s candidates they would vote for if the election were held today, according to recent polls, including a Politico/Morning Consult survey released Wednesday showing 45% would cast their ballot for the Democrat running in their congressional district, while 44% would vote for the Republican.

Tangent

Sisolak debuted a video endorsement from Obama on Wednesday warning Democrats that the governor is “in a real fight” and highlighting his record on childcare and affordable housing.

Further Reading

Two swing House seats in spotlight in battleground of Nevada (Associated Press)

Democrats’ Troubles in Nevada Are a Microcosm of Nationwide Headwinds (The New York Times)

The Democratic Machine In Nevada Might Be Faltering (Vanity Fair)