Nevada Democrats bypass state party, deepen internal split
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A divide among Nevada Democrats has deepened as top Democratic officials opted to bypass the state party and set up an alternate party organization in Washoe County ahead of next year's election.
Tuesday's decision to shift the coordinated Democratic campaign to reach voters, organize and fundraise for 2022 comes after progressive leaders took over the state party earlier this year.
The decision has the backing of U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Gov. Steve Sisolak, Democrats seen as moderates who are seeking reelection next year.
They will need to win independent and unaffiliated voters in the political swing state, but that outreach became more complicated when the state party was taken over by a group backed by Democratic Socialists of America.
Shifting the 2022 Democratic effort to the Reno-based party gives Cortez Masto, Sisolak and other incumbents a way to put distance between themselves and the new Nevada Democratic State Party leadership.
But it could further inflame tensions with the Democratic Party’s left flank, splitting the base and opening the door to competing messages reaching voters or more primary challenges of incumbents.
The new state party chair, Judith Whitmer, decried the move as “profoundly dangerous” and said it puts Democratic incumbents at risk.
“Once again, we find ourselves disappointed but not surprised, but this time it’s regarding an insurgency within our own party instead of in the Republican Party,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Despite this ill-advised and undemocratic shift to a one-county strategy by some members of the party, we remain confident in our ability to do what we were tasked to do: elect Democrats to office in the State of Nevada and provide thoughtful leadership on progressive issues.”
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