Broken Hearts and Broken Promises: A Valentine for Nevada Democrats

This Valentine’s Day, while normal couples are splitting dessert and pretending they like overpriced prix fixe menus, The Nevada Globe decided to deliver a few valentines of our own. Not the chocolate kind. The truth kind.

Because if there is anything more predictable than a Strip wedding chapel at 2 a.m., it is Nevada Democrats talking sweet and governing sour.

Let’s start in the United States Senate.

To Nevada’s Democratic Senators: Roses are red. Violets are blue. You campaign like moderates. Then vote with the coastal crew. Whether it is rubber stamping the Biden spending spree, backing policies that jack up costs for working families, or standing shoulder to shoulder with the same Washington machine Nevadans are sick of, our senators have proven one thing. Their loyalty is to party bosses first and Nevada last. When inflation crushes families from Reno to Henderson, they send press releases. When D.C. calls, they salute.

Now to the man who wants a promotion.

Aaron Ford, currently Nevada’s Attorney General and now running for governor, wants voters to fall head over heels. He talks about fairness. He talks about opportunity. He talks about “moving Nevada forward.” But under his watch, crime surged and radical priorities flourished. Instead of focusing on public safety and law and order, Ford has often sounded more like an activist than the state’s top cop. Valentine’s message for Aaron Ford: Nevada needs a steady hand, not a political climber looking for his next office. If this is your love letter to the state, it reads more like a resume.

Over in Congressional District 1, Dina Titus has her own romantic comedy going. The tagline writes itself.

Vegas knows how to treat your tip right. Dina Titus voted to tax them.

That is not poetic exaggeration. When Republicans pushed for no tax on tips, a policy that would have put more money back in the pockets of bartenders, servers, and casino workers who keep this town running, Titus voted against it. In a city built on hospitality, where tips are not a luxury but a livelihood, she sided with Washington tax collectors instead of working Nevadans. If love means never saying you are sorry, Titus’ version means never missing a chance to take a cut.

Then there is Susie Lee.

Love can be genuine. Susie Lee’s record looks transactional.

Lee has faced repeated scrutiny over questionable stock trades that just happened to occur while Congress was debating policies that could move markets. Americans across the political spectrum are tired of watching members of Congress outperform Wall Street while claiming it is all perfectly timed coincidence. Maybe it is. Maybe Cupid doubles as a financial advisor. But when everyday Nevadans are pinching pennies and members of Congress are trading equities with suspicious precision, it does not feel like romance. It feels like a hustle.

And finally, Steven Horsford.

Vegas can protect your heart better than Steven Horsford protected his “family values.”

Horsford built a brand around faith and family, only to later admit to an affair. In May 2020, U.S. Representative Steven Horsford admitted to an on and off extramarital affair with Las Vegas podcast host Gabriela Linder that began in 2009. The relationship became public after Linder disclosed it, and Horsford issued an apology to his family and constituents. Subsequent reports raised questions about financial “gifts” made to Linder from a company account tied to his consulting business.

The scandal rocked his career and shattered the image he had carefully curated. Voters can forgive mistakes. What they struggle to forgive is hypocrisy. When you preach one set of values and practice another, the trust does not just crack. It collapses.

So, this Valentine’s Day, while Democrats pass out heart emojis and carefully crafted social media posts, Nevadans should remember the real record. The votes. The trades. The scandals. The priorities.

Because in politics, as in love, actions speak louder than words. And in Nevada, the voters are not looking for sweet talk. They are looking for someone who will actually show up, keep their promises, and maybe for once, put the state ahead of the party.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Nevada. Consider this your reality check wrapped in a red bow.

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