Some Nevada Democrats blame party infighting for defeats

[pppolitics]

LAS VEGAS —  Nevada Democrats’ vaunted political machine delivered wins for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Secretary of State-elect Cisco Aguilar and Atty. Gen. Aaron Ford last week.
But Gov. Steve Sisolak and his running mate, Lt. Gov Lisa Cano Burkhead, both lost. In a year when Democrats outperformed expectations almost everywhere in the country, Sisolak was the only incumbent Democratic governor to lose his seat.

Sisolak’s COVID-19 policies, which shut down casinos and led to high unemployment, were unpopular, and his opponent, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, is well known in the state. But some Nevada Democrats are saying party infighting is also to blame for Sisolak’s loss.

The progressive and establishment wings of the Nevada Democratic Party have been feuding since last year, when progressives and members of the Democratic Socialists of America were elected to every leadership position in the state party. Before losing the internal election, the establishment figures who had been running the state party sent its entire treasury to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. After the election, they quit their jobs and started a new group, Nevada Democratic Victory.

The party’s top elected officials picked sides. Cortez Masto and Sisolak allied with Nevada Democratic Victory. They, like all Nevada Democrats, worked closely with the so-called Reid Machine, a get-out-the-vote and canvassing operation that the late Sen. Harry Reid built. The machine’s paid canvassers — union members on leave from the Las Vegas casinos — knocked on more than 1 million doors this election cycle.

[...]

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-11-18/infighting-nevada-democrats-sisolak

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Democrats forming a circular firing squad at the first wrinkle?

⢀⣠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣤⣶⣶ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣀⣀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⠉⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⠁⠀⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠿⠿⠿⠻⠿⠿⠟⠿⠛⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⢰⣹⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣭⣷⠀⠀⠀⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠈⠉⠀⠀⠤⠄⠀⠀⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢾⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⡠⠤⢄⠀⠀⠀⠠⣿⣿⣷⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡀⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢄⠀⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Nevada Democrats won 3 of 4 House seats while losing the statewide vote by 3%. And they held most of their statewide offices.  And they saw off Laxalt.
Can't Ds just celebrate the election results instead of infighting?

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Nevada Democrats won 3 of 4 House seats while losing the statewide vote by 3%. And they held most of their statewide offices.  And they saw off Laxalt.
Can't Ds just celebrate the election results instead of infighting?

Honesty I genuinely think they can’t

[ProgressiveModerate]

They still have control over the state legislature and several row offices so losing the Governor's race in 2022 really isn't all that bad of an L.

[Not Me, Us]

They still have control over the state legislature and several row offices so losing the Governor's race in 2022 really isn't all that bad of an L.

Sisolak was honestly terrible too. Yeah he'd be better than Lombardo, but he was one of the worst Democratic governors in the country. CCM won, Dems held all of their House seats, and held the legislature too. Pretty good night in Nevada, Sisolak's loss was his own fault.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Democrats in disarray, etc.

Gubernatorial and state race are different from federal ones and Sisolak's COVID policies shut down a lot of businesses in a state that heavily depends on tourism. Progressives had nothing to do with that policy decision. They helped elect Democrats federally.

Honestly as a rule it just seems Nevada likes having Republican governors, with some exceptions. Laxalt was a paper tiger who lost two statewide elections. If Lombardo turns out to be another Sandoval (and he'll have to work with a Democratic legislature anyway) he'll probably win in 2026 regardless of who's president.

The center-right caucus of the Democratic Party is really picking at straws here.

[Roll Roons]

They still have control over the state legislature and several row offices so losing the Governor's race in 2022 really isn't all that bad of an L.

Sisolak was honestly terrible too. Yeah he'd be better than Lombardo, but he was one of the worst Democratic governors in the country. CCM won, Dems held all of their House seats, and held the legislature too. Pretty good night in Nevada, Sisolak's loss was his own fault.

Most importantly, Nevada Democrats prevented a Stop the Steal lunatic from becoming Secretary of State.

He didn't get as much attention but Jim Marchant was just as horrible as Mark Finchem.

[RussFeingoldWasRobbed]

I do think NV is more winnable for Republicans than MI/PA and maybe it's neck and neck with WI/AZ, but Republicans have to work hard at it, especially at the state level

[Flyersfan232]

They still have control over the state legislature and several row offices so losing the Governor's race in 2022 really isn't all that bad of an L.

that is still a L

[Ferguson97]

Can't Ds just celebrate the election results instead of infighting?

Have you met a Democrat before?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Can't Ds just celebrate the election results instead of infighting?

Have you met a Democrat before?

I've known a fair bit of Democrats and most of them have been the kind to celebrate when they have reason to. Maybe they are different to the kind of Ds you see quoted in this article.

[Comrade Funk]

No thanks to Ralston who is a DNC stooge and spent half the cycle bashing progressives.

[Spectator]

They still have control over the state legislature and several row offices so losing the Governor's race in 2022 really isn't all that bad of an L.

that is still a L

If Nevada was an L for the Democrats, can’t imagine what that makes Arizona for the GOP

[Landslide Lyndon]

Nevada Democrats ought to have a chat with their Florida counterparts.

That said though, Jon Ralston wrote after the election that the state party, which is controlled by Sandernistas, is so feckless that everyone (national party, donors, unions, etc.) ignored them and the Democratic wins came not because but despite it.

[Spectator]

Nevada Democrats ought to have a chat with their Florida counterparts.

That said though, Jon Ralston wrote after the election that the state party, which is controlled by Sandernistas, is so feckless that everyone (national party, donors, unions, etc.) ignored them and the Democratic wins came not because but despite it.

It's almost like when one party gets taken over by a cult-like following, they seem to not care  about winning elections so much as sticking it to the so-called RINOs/DINOs.

[Duke of York]

why not be happy about how well you did instead of arguing over defeats?

[free my dawg]

Nevada Democrats ought to have a chat with their Florida counterparts.

That said though, Jon Ralston wrote after the election that the state party, which is controlled by Sandernistas, is so feckless that everyone (national party, donors, unions, etc.) ignored them and the Democratic wins came not because but despite it.

Jon Ralston also perpetrated a literal fake news story from an avowed Clinton supporter.

Either way, this is a nothingburger. Sisolak lost because he was a moron. The NVDP itself focused on the downballot and protected and flipped those seats. The Culinary machine did their jobs. It's been adversarial, but ultimately both wings put their differences aside to do the thing, and they won. I don't see the problem in that.

[KaiserDave]

The DSA people in the NVDP had nothing to do with the victories or defeats, and had no impact. All the crucial party infrastructure was taken out of the party once the DSA slate won. Sisolak lost for reasons entirely unrelated to them and NV Dems had a pretty good night.

[Senator Incitatus]

This is at least one take I was right about. Assigning blame for it is silly, since the issue was structural. A state entirely dependent on tourism was always going to have a large and durable lockdown backlash.

[Duke of York]

The DSA people in the NVDP had nothing to do with the victories or defeats, and had no impact. All the crucial party infrastructure was taken out of the party once the DSA slate won. Sisolak lost for reasons entirely unrelated to them and NV Dems had a pretty good night.

what do you mean it was taken out of thew party?

[CityofSinners]

The DSA people in the NVDP had nothing to do with the victories or defeats, and had no impact. All the crucial party infrastructure was taken out of the party once the DSA slate won. Sisolak lost for reasons entirely unrelated to them and NV Dems had a pretty good night.

what do you mean it was taken out of thew party?

The people behind the Harry-Reid maschine shifted their people and resources towards the Washoe dem party which they still controlled. Outside organizations like the DCCC or DSCC also switched from working with the NV dem party towards the Washoe dem party.

The NVDP currently has not much influence as they have few resources or organizations willing to work with them.

[Person Man]

It wasn't just following Newsom instead of Polis on Public Health that led us to this point.

[SInNYC]

Why is this a surprise? Blaming the left is what Democrats always do when they lose an election, or in this case when they don't sweep. Its what they did when McAuliffe lost last year, and here in NY, many in the hierarchy (including Maloney) are taking side swipes at AOC for their loss.

[wbrocks67]

This all seems incredibly stupid, given that Dems largely outperformed in nearly every race except for GOV, and Sisolak was the lowest hanging fruit.