Cortez Masto talks up Harris, Nevada’s importance in DNC speech
CHICAGO — Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto took the Democratic National Convention stage Wednesday night to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris and highlight the importance of the Silver State in the election.
The senior senator from Nevada explained how she got to know Harris when they were both attorneys general in neighboring states.
“Working together, I quickly learned what kind of person she is: She is a strong leader,” said Cortez Masto, who became the first woman to represent Nevada in the Senate and the first Latina to serve in the Senate. She has become a key confidant for Harris’ presidential campaign and served on a search committee helping Harris pick her running mate.
Cortez Masto, speaking before Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, said they took on big banks after the foreclosure crisis and worked to put transnational criminals and drug smugglers in jail. Harris led a delegation of attorneys general to Mexico to work with officials to put a system in place to prosecute and go after transnational criminals, Cortez Masto said.
“When we took on human traffickers, Kamala had us meet with survivors so we could understand who we were fighting for,” Cortez Masto said. “Standing up for justice — that’s Kamala Harris. So trust me when I say, I know she’ll fight for our families and our freedoms. Now, we must fight for her.”
Cortez Masto, so far the first Nevadan to appear on the convention stage, explained how every vote matters and referenced her own close race for re-election in 2022, which came down to 7,928 votes.
“Because of Democrats in Nevada, the Democrats won the Senate majority,” she said. “We can do it again. We can send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House. Let’s get it done.”
Nevada’s senior senator also spoke during a Nevada delegation breakfast Wednesday morning, where she also talked about Harris’ record as attorney general in California.
“That is Kamala Harris. That is who she is. That’s why she knows this fight better than anyone in keeping our community safe,” Cortez Masto told Nevada’s delegates.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.