‘Euphoric’: Nevada Democrats energized ahead of November with Harris at the helm

The Nevada campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid officially launched Thursday, as Silver State Democrats prepared for a “sprint” in campaigning ahead of the November election just over 100 days from now.

For the first time since President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday and endorsed his second-in-command, Democrats gathered in a Las Vegas campaign office, where Biden-Harris signs were replaced with Harris 2024 posters and banners.

“What we have ahead of us is a sprint for the next 100 and some odd days,” said Nevada’s Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. “And one thing I know about her, she ain’t scared. So we’re going to continue to fight, we’re going to continue to galvanize and work together, and we’re going to win this thing.”

A high energy could be felt in the former Biden-Harris campaign office on Spring Mountain Road. More than 60 people packed inside the small building that had been decked out with handmade signs on the walls that read “Women for Harris,” “Fight 4 Reproductive Rights” and “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”

Las Vegas resident Kathie Klass described the vibes as “euphoric.”

“I am so impressed,” the 73-year-old said. “I was nervous about it, but I am totally impressed with how everybody has come together to make sure that we protect our democracy.”

Supporters heard from Assemblywoman and Nevada State Democratic Party Chairwoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, who highlighted the stakes of the election, including the Democrats’ previously successful campaign talking point of abortion. She highlighted Trump’s record as well as previous statements from his running mate, J.D. Vance, who has an outspoken anti-abortion record.

The campaign has hit the ground running since it was launched just a few days ago. This weekend, it is launching the “biggest ever mobilization blitz” to mark 100 days until the election. It will hold over 50 events in Nevada — from press events to canvass launches to visits from political surrogates — involving dozens of elected officials and over 3,000 people, Harris’ campaign announced Thursday.

Harris’ campaign reported that over 100,000 volunteers signed up to join the campaign since Sunday afternoon and recruited over 1,400 volunteers in Nevada on Tuesday, which broke a record it set on Sunday for the biggest recruitment day of the campaign, according to the campaign.

Republicans, coming off a high-energy convention in Milwaukee last week, are also expected to rally in the swing state of Nevada — whose six electoral votes could determine the outcome of the presidential race — with an event by Vance in Henderson on Tuesday.

Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald called this stage of Harris’ campaign a “honeymoon period.” He highlighted her liberal record, saying she was named the most liberal senator before she ran for president in 2020.

“If they want to run on their policy and their record, they’re going to lose,” he said.

Halee Dobbins, Nevada state communications director for the RNC, said Republicans have been united and hard at work “meeting the voters where they are.”

Dobbins said for months its staff have been recruiting thousands of volunteers to be poll watchers and poll workers and activating captains to talk neighbor-to-neighbor about key issues.

Harris’ challenges

While Nevada Democrats appear excited with the idea of Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket in November, Harris faces some significant challenges. She must overcome her longtime low approval ratings, and it remains to be seen how the Democratic Party’s dramatic reboot will affect her popularity in a state that is currently leaning toward Trump but has backed the Democratic presidential nominee in every election cycle since 2008.

She must also tackle Republicans’ criticisms over her handling of the southern border as well as the issue of the economy, which voters see as better under Trump than Biden. Finally, she must campaign full throttle, since she is starting her presidential campaign just four months before the election.

Democrats’ work in Nevada started more than a year ago, Monroe-Moreno said. Both the state party and the Biden-Harris campaign have been active and present on the ground. As the chair of the state party, Monroe-Moreno will visit all 17 Nevada counties and will not leave a voter “untapped and untouched,” she said. For the chairwoman, her biggest challenge will be getting enough sleep, she said.

“We’re not late,” she said. “We’re just — it was a bump in the road.”

More enthusiasm from Democratic voters

Las Vegas resident J.J. Janney told the Review-Journal she wasn’t planning on paying attention to the U.S. election. Rather, she was only interested in the Mexico election to see its first female president elected. Now that Harris is running, Janney is “super excited.”

“I think a lot of people were extremely nervous and concerned, so I think people are fired up and excited,” the 56-year-old said. “And I think there’s going to be a lot of people coming out who were maybe thinking about passing on this one, and are going to come out and get involved.”

Recent Bishop Gorman High School graduate Isaac Nelsen, 17, will be able to vote for the first time in November, and told the crowd of supporters on Thursday he will vote for Harris.

“Me and my friends were not excited to vote for 80-year-old guys,” Nelsen said. “I see myself in Kamala. I see youth. I see energy. I see a future in Kamala.”

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.