Will Harris fare better in Nevada than Biden?

Democrats have rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris since she announced her presidential run following President Joe Biden’s dropout and endorsement Sunday, but it is unclear if she will fare better than her predecessor in the critical swing state of Nevada.

The former California senator and attorney general has some advantages in Nevada, which she has visited a dozen times since taking office. The Silver State has elected a Democratic presidential nominee every cycle since 2008. A strong Democratic machine made up of the state Democratic party and the political powerhouse of the Culinary Local 226 will spend the next 100 days or so campaigning to see Harris elected.

The challenge is real. Former President Donald Trump has consistently polled well in Nevada, his popularity seemingly buoyed after surviving an assassination attempt this month. Nevadans cite the economy as a top issue (Nevada has the sixth-highest gas prices and the second-highest grocery prices in the country) and polls showed voters said they felt the economy was better under Trump than Biden.

A Democratic reset

Harris’ likely nomination will serve as a “reset” for Democrats, adding stability and putting their electoral chances back to where they were before the June debate, when Biden’s poor performance sparked concerns about his ability to handle the rigors of a campaign and serve another four years, according to Dan Lee, a UNLV political science professor.

Harris is a stronger candidate than the Biden who debated Trump in June, but not the Biden before the debate, Lee said. Her move to the top of the ticket won’t automatically give Democrats a better chance of winning the state, Lee said.

For years, Harris has had low approval ratings among Americans. She ran for president in 2019, but quit the race before a single vote had been cast in the primaries.

While Harris can claim the same accomplishments as Biden, she will also be susceptible to the same attacks from Republicans, Lee said.

Those attacks have already started. Trump held a press call Tuesday calling her the “border czar” and criticizing her for the increased flow of migrants through the southern border. Trump said she is the “same as Biden” but more radical, saying she endorsed the “radical left crusade” to dismantle ICE, compared ICE to the KKK and supported the decriminalization of illegal border crossings (Harris did not endorse dismantling ICE and instead said the agency should be re-examined).

Lee said choosing Harris was a safer bet than someone like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, as she was on the ticket with Biden in the primaries, previously ran for the office and served as Biden’s vice president for three years. She also inherited a sizable campaign apparatus and has access to the $91 million raised by the Biden-Harris campaign, Lee said.

Harris might attract more moderate and suburban voters with the abortion issue, which could resonate with voters more coming from her than from Biden, Lee said. Her impact on youth voters is unclear, as Bernie Sanders was popular among young and Latino voters in 2020.

The campaign started off strong Sunday, recruiting a record number of volunteers and raising more than $100 million as of Monday evening, according to the campaign. In Nevada, it recruited more than 600 volunteers, more than three times a normal Sunday, according to the campaign.

How some voters feel about the change

Voters who spoke with the Las Vegas Review-Journal following Biden’s dropout weren’t overly enthusiastic for Harris — some did not know much about her — but some said they would vote for her anyway.

Deb and Jim Stegner, Henderson residents, said they’re not strongly political and identify as independents. If Harris is the nominee, they will vote for her, they said.

“I think she’s got a bigger audience that she can play to or speak to,” Deb Stegner said. “Younger people, people of different backgrounds, women. … I think she can do better to relate to people than Trump.”

Las Vegas resident Kenny Brown said he was not surprised when Biden dropped out, as it seemed like “age has caught up to him.”

The 35-year-old does not claim a party and said he votes on specific issues he cares about. He said he aligns more with Republican ideologies, such as being pro-life. He does not know much about Harris’ experience or her qualifications. He plans on voting but feels like he’s trying to pick “the best of two terrible outcomes.”

“At the end of the day they’re both politicians, and when it comes to politics, I’m just not that excited in general,” he said.

Parker Beining, a 20-year-old Henderson resident, said she was shocked by the news Sunday. She followed Biden more closely than she did Harris. While she does not know much about Harris, she said she would vote for Harris over Trump.

“I don’t want to say I was on either side, because I feel like there’s pros and cons to both of the candidates, but yeah, you know, personally I think if Kamala steps up, the vice president, I would be a fan of that,” Beining said.

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