Tim Walz encourages early voting in Southern Nevada

Gov. Tim Walz encouraged Nevadans to vote early during his multiple campaign stops in Southern Nevada on Sunday, just nine days from the Nov. 5 election.

Walz’s visit came in the middle of Nevada’s two-week early voting period that ends Friday. Registered Republicans have led in statewide participation, with nearly 244,000 votes cast in person, by mail or using the EASE voting system, compared with nearly 213,000 for registered Democrats. Nonpartisan and third-party voters account for 155,000 ballots cast as of Sunday morning.

The Democratic vice presidential candidate attended three events across the Las Vegas Valley where he stressed how close the election is, and how the winner could be determined by just a few votes per precinct in a handful of states, including Nevada.

“When we vote, we win,” he said. “We’ve got nine days to it. We have to get everyone out there.”

Highlighting tribal issues

At a “Native Americans for Harris-Walz” event at the MGM Grand, Walz highlighted issues important to Indigenous tribes in attendance. Signs read “Sko vote” and “Indian Country for Harris-Walz.”

“If our tribal nations are doing well, the rest of the nation is doing well,” Walz said.

Walz talked about the need to end ambulance deserts in Indian Country and the need to deliver resources promised to tribes.

The governor also compared the Biden-Harris administration’s record on Indigenous issues with that of the Trump campaign.

“Donald Trump — not going to come as a shock to you — wasn’t really great on tribal issues,” Walz said.

He said Trump excluded tribal businesses from applying for pandemic aid and made it harder for tribes to regain ancestral lands. Trump also tried to derecognize tribes and block the expansion of casinos, Walz said. He also never convened a White House Tribal Nations Conference, Walz claimed, and he tried to repeal the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

Brian Weeden, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts, said he thinks Walz is a great candidate for Indian Country.

“I think that because of his lieutenant governor, he has a good understanding of sovereignty and all the issues that we face,” Weeden said, adding that if Walz gets elected, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of White Earth Band of Ojibwe, could become the first female and Native American governor for the state.

Weeden said top issues facing Indian Country are underfunded mandates, such as the Indian Health Service, getting the federal government to understand their trust responsibility, as well as water and land rights.

Halee Dobbins, the Nevada state communications director for the Trump campaign, said Team Trump has been dedicated to uplifting the Native American people.

“We know the top concerns for many Native Americans today include the rising costs of goods and services, the safety and protection of women, and energy independence,” Dobbins said in a statement. “The Trump campaign is committed to offering real solutions that address these concerns, from restoring our energy dominance, lowering inflation, and supporting our law enforcement.”

As president, Trump signed an executive order establishing a task force to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and he met with the Navajo nation, according to the campaign.

Reproductive rights and the Raiders

Earlier in the day, Walz also rallied volunteers at the campaign’s office in Henderson ahead of door-knocking, highlighting the role volunteers will play in electing the next president and vice president.

“The door knocks you’re making very possibly could be the difference between electing Kamala Harris and moving us into a positive future, or the nightmare of Donald Trump,” he told the crowd of about 100 at a “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour kicking off door-knocking.

He talked about the importance of leaving health care decisions to women, their families and doctors.

Walz was joined by Rep. Dina Titus and Kaitlyn Joshua, a reproductive rights advocate who told the story about miscarrying a pregnancy in Louisiana and getting turned away from two emergency rooms.

“They sent me home, saying they would pray for me,” Joshua said, to sounds of exasperation from the crowd.

Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for the Trump campaign, said former President Donald Trump has been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions about abortions and has said he would not sign a federal ban if elected. She said he also supports universal access to contraception and IVF.

During his visit, Walz also went on Twitch with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, to play Madden NFL together — he played as the Minnesota Vikings and she played as the Buffalo Bills; no word on who did better — and the governor ended his visit with a campaign watch party at La Vecinidad Cantina for the Raiders vs. the Chiefs, where he again highlighted the importance of getting out the vote and chatted and took photos with supporters.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.