How to Help Democrats Win in Nevada: Donor Recommendations
Nevada will be one of the most closely contested states in the 2024 election, and the outcomes here could decide who controls the White House and the U.S. Senate. In addition, Nevadans will vote on a ballot measure to protect abortion access.
Democrats face significant challenges in Nevada, where election margins have grown steadily tighter in recent cycles. President Joe Biden won the state by less than 3 points in 2020, while Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won re-election by less than a single point in 2022; incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak lost his race that same year.
A key challenge for Democrats in Nevada is that Latinos, who will likely make up nearly a fifth of all voters this year, have moved right. While Hillary Clinton won 69% of these voters in 2016, Biden won 60%. Exit polls in 2022 showed Sisolak winning just 56% of Latino voters, while an August New York Times/Siena poll showed Kamala Harris and Donald Trump virtually tied among Latino voters. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Nevada are another growing and important group, making up 8% of voters in 2022; 57% voted Democratic that year. Meanwhile, Democrats have regularly lost white Nevadans in recent elections, although Biden’s gains among white college graduates in the state was a key factor in his 2020 victory.
Both persuasion and mobilization are essential to help both Kamala Harris and Sen. Jacky Rosen win in Nevada this year. Undecided voters need to hear a compelling narrative about why they should support incumbent Democrats, even as polling shows dissatisfaction with the economy, immigration, and other issues. Low-propensity Democratic voters feeling little enthusiasm need strong encouragement and repeated contacts to cast ballots.
Donors can have the most impact in this crucial state by supporting groups with a strong record of effective voter engagement and GOTV work in Nevada. Below, we explain what’s at stake in the state this year and where to give to help Democrats win.
Democratic 2024 Election Goals in Nevada
Win Nevada’s six electoral votes. In a close election, the success of Biden’s reelection bid could boil down to Nevada, where the president needs to sustain recent Democratic gains among white college graduates and replicate his margins of victory in 2020 among Latino and young voters.
Hold a U.S. Senate seat. For Democrats to have any chance of holding the U.S. Senate this year, Jacky Rosen must win reelection.
Build strength in the state legislature. With Republicans holding the governorship, it’s important for Democrats to improve their position in the state legislature, where they currently have a supermajority in the Assembly and are within reach of securing one in the Senate.
Protect abortion rights. Nevadans will vote on a ballot measure to protect abortion rights. The appearance of this measure on the ballot will be an important motivator for some voters.
Where to Donate Help Democrats win in Nevada in 2024
Democratic success in Nevada’s election contests will require strong mobilization of key Democratic constituencies, as well as effective persuasion work. By supporting groups focused on voter engagement, donors can help win races up and down the ballot while also building long-term progressive power in the state. Donors should consider supporting the following group:
One APIA Nevada is the leading voter engagement group that works to secure Democratic support from AAPI voters in the state, a fast-growing slice of Nevada’s electorate — likely to be about 12% this year — that includes people from multiple ethnic groups. As noted above, Democrats have been losing ground with this key constituency in Nevada, and it’s essential to bolster that support for Harris and Rosen to win the state. In addition, AAPI Nevadans register and vote at a lower rate than whites; much work is needed to close that representation gap. A key strength of One APIA is its cultural competency in targeting voters in different languages through door-to-door canvassing, phone, mail, and digital. Also, as the 501(c)(4) arm of the Asian Community Development Council, which provides services to AAPI communities, One APIA has spent years building trust with AAPI voters. No group is better positioned to engage these communities this election year, and these efforts could determine who wins in Nevada.