The presidential election campaign is gaining momentum in the United States, with citizens being called to the polls on November 5. The two candidates, Kamala Harris (Democrat) and Donald Trump (Republican) are neck and neck in the polls. In the state of Nevada, which only brings six electors, every vote counts – especially since in 2020, Joe Biden only won this state by 34,000 votes. The economic issues are major and the candidates are competing for the Latino electorate.
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In Nevada, the economy is the main campaign issue. It must be said that this state has suffered the full brunt of the Covid-19 crisis. Its industry depends largely on hotels and restaurants, particularly due to the presence of Las Vegas, whose metropolitan region brings together three-quarters of the state’s inhabitants.
However, the post-Covid recovery has been slower than elsewhere and the unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country: 5.5% compared to 4.2% nationally. Last August, in Las Vegas, the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, promised to increase the minimum wage and “ eliminate taxes on tips for those working in the hotel and restaurant industries “. Donald Trump had already made this same proposal a few weeks earlier, in the same place. Republicans are convinced that in Nevada, as elsewhere, Americans will trust them on economic issues. But in the state, Democrats have enjoyed support from union voters so far — and the state’s largest union, the Culinary Union, is supporting Kamala Harris this year.
A contested Latino electorate
Traditionally in Nevada, Democrats also benefit from the support of minorities. The main one is represented by Latinos: 30% of the state’s inhabitants and 20% of its voters. But of this 20%, half would not be affiliated with a party. According to a poll last August, Kamala Harris would still be ahead of Donald Trump among Latinos but her lead would be less significant than that of Joe Biden in 2020. The two candidates are therefore fiercely competing for this electorate.
On October 12, Donald Trump participated in a roundtable with Latino voters. He said that when he was president, incomes for Hispanic Americans were at an all-time high. He also insisted on his favorite theme: immigration. “ I’m going to tell you what’s happening at the border, because it affects you perhaps more than others, African Americans, Hispanic Americans: people are pouring into the border and taking your jobs, because of Kamala and Biden “, he said. In each of their trips to the state, Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance insist on immigration, which remains an important campaign theme, especially for Republicanseven though Nevada is not a border state. Kamala Harris is well aware of this: when she returned to Las Vegas at the end of September, it was just after having gone to the border with Mexico.
The housing problem
Nevada attracts many newcomers, especially from California where the cost of living is much more expensive. But this increases housing prices: since the start of Joe Biden’s presidency, they have increased by 34%. Housing becomes out of reach for residents.
Kamala Harris therefore plans to give $25,000 to first-time buyers. Invoking once again the theme of immigration, Donald Trump promises to lower prices by stopping what he calls “the invasion of illegal aliens “. On housing, Kamala Harris would have the advantage. According to a September poll, 49% of Nevadans trust him compared to 39% for Trump.
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