It may not feel like it yet, but fall is right around the corner. That means we are in the final stretch of campaigning ahead of the 2026 midterm election. Early voting in Nevada is less than 10 weeks away.
That means candidates are pulling out all the stops to reach voters as they approach the end of the election cycle. And for some Republicans, that included standing on stage with President Trump at his rally at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas on August 5.
While over the weekend, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Democratic Northern Nevada congressional candidate Teresa Benitez Thompson and about 100 supporters at a Reno bar.
However, those appearances may not matter much for most voters in Nevada.
Ken Miller is an associate professor of political science at UNLV. He says those events are about shoring up the base.
"National politics is not affecting [the election here] very much, and the reason is that we don't have competitive federal races this year,” Miller said. “If we had a Senate race in Nevada this year, that would nationalize the conversation much more. But we don't have that this time… So you're not seeing much national money coming in."
In that vein, a trio of GOP-commissioned polls conducted this summer show Nevada’s Republican incumbent, Governor Joe Lombardo, has sizable leads over Democratic challenger Attorney General Aaron Ford in the race for governor. According to the reporting, those surveys bucked a trend that showed a neck-and-neck race for governor.
"Polling right now is probably going to be pretty turbulent because a lot of voters aren't really tuned into the race yet, and we still haven't seen the campaigns ramp up to their highest amplitude yet. So, things are going to appear a little bit unsettled. And some of those surveys we've been seeing lately are coming from firms I honestly haven't heard of before."
One throughline playing out in many states is the success of candidates aligned with the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, including several backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Currently, no DSA-backed candidates are on the November ballot.
For Shelbie Swartz, executive director of Battle Born Progress, the success of these candidates might be more about their messaging.
"Candidates who give voters something tangible to vote for are the ones breaking through,” said Swartz. “I'm not ideologically scorekeeping these wins. I'm looking at which candidates gave folks something to believe in and are addressing the issues that matter to them."
As for how to get that message to voters, Swartz said it’s an ever-evolving challenge.
"Without giving away the secret sauce, we are working to meet people where they're at. That includes kind of doing some education on, you know, on Reddit, working with different politically motivated or politically aware influencers that are based here in Nevada that have a vested interest in educating their followers and their friends."
Guests: Ken Miller, associate professor, UNLV; Shelbie Swartz, executive director, Battle Born Progress
