Culinary Union Warns Nevada Could Go Red

POLITICO magazine reporter Adrian Carasquillo has been covering Nevada and Culinary Union 226 for over a decade and was told by a Culinary official that the union may lose Nevada for the first time since 2004. According to Carasquillo, this was the first time in his reporting that Culinary had issued this warning.

Per the report:

Nevada is far more competitive this year than in recent elections. While Democrats have stacked wins over the last two decades and Biden won the state by two percentage points in 2020, there was a hiccup during the 2022 midterms, with Democrat Steve Sisolak becoming the only incumbent governor in the nation to lose.

Even the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, the politically powerful service industry union which represents thousands of casino and hospitality workers in Las Vegas, warns Nevada could go red for the first time since George W. Bush in 2004.

Despite the union’s endorsement of Harris this summer, “We think if the election was today we would lose Nevada,” a Culinary official said.

A Vegas town hall gives Harris a high-profile platform in a state that was badly bruised by the pandemic, and where the economy and rising housing costs are top of mind, two issues Harris plans to hit, according to her campaign. It also offers a chance to speak to Hispanic men, a voting group with whom Trump has made gains.

The Culinary Union is ramping up its blue-chip ground game and expects Harris’ standing to improve.

“Groceries are the number one issue and housing is number two and Kamala Harris has a plan for that,” Bethany Khan, the Culinary Union spokesperson, told POLITICO magazine. “What is Donald Trump’s plan for more Americans to buy homes?”

The Culinary Union proudly boasts that it is Nevada’s “largest immigration organization.” According to reports, its membership of 60,000 workers  is 54 percent Latino, 18 percent White, 15 percent Asian and Pacific Islander and 13 percent Black.

As reported by The Globe, the Biden-Harris administration immigration policies, or lack thereof, has driven the scarcity of affordable housing due to unlimited demand from the millions of undocumented immigrants released into the interior of the United States. Since 2021, there has been a 534 percent increase in illegal alien residents in Nevada.

Although Harris has promised to build three million new homes and subsidize new home ownership, regulations, zoning, land availability and inflation are impediments to her aspirations.

Trump has promised to cut building regulations, ban mortgages for undocumented immigrants, and lower housing costs by “stopping the unsustainable invasion of illegal aliens that is driving up housing costs.”

Trump’s plan for “more Americans to buy homes” is likely not good news to the “largest immigration organization” who has not only lobbied for extended protections of their undocumented members, but, as of today, ramped up its “blue-chip ground game” with Nevada Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto.

🎤 “226! 226! 226!”

The largest canvassing team in Nevada 💪 is launching at the Culinary Union HQ with Senator @CortezMasto.

Culinary Union canvassers are ready to have conversations w/voters @ doors about electing @KamalaHarris who fights for us. #WeVoteWeWin #ItsUpToUs pic.twitter.com/rkngP4LPKr

— Culinary Union (@Culinary226) October 10, 2024

Today’s blue-chip ground game coincides with Harris’ Univision townhall, “Los Latinos Preguntan … Kamala Harris Responde” (“Latinos Ask.. Harris Responds”), to court Latino voters in Nevada. Politico confirms that the Harris campaign will also fly in undecided voters to Las Vegas for the event. On October 16, “Los Latinos Preguntan … Donald Trump Responde” will air from Miami, Florida.

Polling indicates that Harris will not likely win more than 58 percent of Latino voters, a significant loss than what Democrats garnered in past elections. Yet, Trump does not need to win a majority of Latino voters to return to the White House. If he capitalizes on Democrats losing ground with Latino voters in swing states, like Nevada, it could prove to be the margin of victory in a state known for its close elections.

Yet, with just 26 days to go until “Election Day,” the Culinary Union has promised to deliver Nevada for Kamala, and with $25 million of new taxpayer funds in their bank, they have the resources to campaign for Democrats up-and-down the ballot.