Florida has long been a bastion of conservative politics, but it has not always been this way. Since gaining statehood in 1845, Florida had voted for the most part Democratic. The state began to turn red in the 1960s when the Republicans implemented the Southern Strategy, which aimed to increase political support among white voters […]
This piece originally published in the Las Vegas Sun. Every election year, the posters and signs go up announcing new candidates vying for political office. Every year, volunteers set out — clipboards and voter lists in hand — canvassing and campaigning for months in an attempt to activate voters. And every year, particularly in local […]
Everyone in our community deserves to feel safe. Hear some from students at UNLV as they describe how they feel safe on their campus. Our community is safer when we pass common sense gun violence prevention, invest in robust public services like quality healthcare and improve the living conditions of working people.
In some ways, it was harder for me to believe that Barack Obama would get reelected than it was to believe that he was elected the first time. Surely, four years after that groundbreaking moment in American history, the novelty and excitement of a non-white president would have worn off, and the record-high voter turnout […]
Florida voters will have a critical choice to make in November. For two decades, Florida has had a Republican governor with disastrous results for Floridians. Today, 3.3 million households – 45 % of the state’s household – identify as poor and are struggling to make ends meet. It’s especially bad for households with children. But […]
As voters in a democratic country, it is crucial that we make educated decisions about who we put in office and the ballot measures we pass. Researching names is straightforward enough – but what about when you don’t understand the position the candidates are up for? Here’s a breakdown of some of the more obscure […]
With so much depressing news filling my news feed, I’ve found a glimmer of hope talking to Democratic candidates in the primary elections here in Nevada. As in the rest of the country, there are significant numbers of women and people of color running for office. I wanted to hear their stories because as a […]
Nevada’s primary elections are four short weeks away, and this year sees two Democratic candidates stepping up to the plate. Steve Sisolak, a local businessman and Clark County Commission chairman, is running on diversifying our economy and enforcing the background checks for gun purchases we voted into law in 2016. Chris Giunchigliani is the vice-chair […]
Las Vegas – The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population in the United States is often forgotten about, underrepresented in politics, and often thought of as a minority group that is “better off” than others. This damaging way of thinking about AAPI people is largely due to the “model minority myth,” the idea held by many […]
Voting is the most basic and important right an individual has in a democracy. As voters, we elect people to represent our communities and if a majority of voters do not approve of the performance of the people they elect, they get to vote them out. Sadly in the United States, democracy is flawed. It […]
Last month, I went to San Francisco with a group of friends to see a musical. While the play was fantastic, and we had a great time, I left feeling sad, hopeless and scared for my hometown of Reno. On nearly every corner on Market Street – a major thoroughfare that runs three miles from […]
The piece was published originally in the Reno Gazette Journal. Living in the desert, water is always on our minds – how to stay hydrated, how to manage it and how to conserve it. But when we talk about our water supply, we often overlook the biggest threat: climate change. It doesn’t help that we […]
Exactly one month ago, the world watched as Americans took to the streets to march for their lives and demand that legislators enact common sense gun reform. Sparked by youth activists who were spurred to action after the Parkland shooting, we marched to protect the lives of young people in communities that have been ravaged […]
Yvanna Cancela talks about her run for State Senate By Nadia Eldemerdash In some ways, it was serendipity that brought 30-year-old Yvanna Cancela to the Nevada State Senate in 2016. She was appointed to represent the 10th district in place of Sen. Ruben Kihuen after he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. For […]
This November, Michigan has a critical choice to make for the future of families struggling to get by. Attacks on immigrants, a lack of good paying jobs and the exploding cost of care for children and elders are squeezing Michigan families from all sides. Last week, Michiganders had a chance to hear from candidates who […]
Several weeks ago, a gentleman came to a Progressive Leadership Alliance Nevada (PLAN) meeting and asked for help restoring his right to vote. After 12 years, he was now eligible, but he needed assistance navigating our state’s incredibly complicated voting restoration laws. As I listened to this older White gentleman talk about his desire to […]
Last year, I became a United States citizen and a registered voter after living as an undocumented immigrant in this country for more than a decade. I was born in Argentina, a country that throughout its history, suffered various military coups and violent repression against its democratic institutions. Because of the hardships endured growing up […]
Democrat Doug Jones managed to accomplish last week what conventional wisdom thought impossible when he defeated the GOP candidate Roy Moore, an alleged pedophile and bigot, to become the next senator of Alabama. After a nail biter election night, the race concluded with Doug Jones securing 671,151 votes to Moore’s 650,436 votes. As the results […]
Hurricane Maria has left Puerto Rico devastated.
In April, state Senator Frank Artiles resigned from his seat in Florida’s recently redistricted Senate District 40, after directing racist remarks against fellow lawmakers in a drunken tirade. This was following an extremely racist election campaign, in which he falsely insinuated that his opponent, incumbent Democratic lawmaker Dwight Bullard, supported terrorism. Fast forward to September, […]