Elko Daily Free Press: “Ford says Elko County, other rurals, important to his campaign”

Following Attorney General Aaron Ford’s statewide Working Class First tour, he announced endorsements from leaders in rural Elko County.

“Rural Nevadans deserve a governor who shows up, listens, and gets things done,” said Attorney General Aaron Ford. “From the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering to its world-class mining industry, Elko County represents the strength and resilience that power rural Nevada — and our entire state. As Governor, rural communities will no longer be left behind. I’ll work with anyone who is serious about making Nevada more affordable, creating good-paying jobs, and building communities where every family can get care, make a living, and build a future. Together, we can move this state forward.”

In September, Ford reported contributions from all 17 Nevada counties and shattered the fundraising record for a non-incumbent challenging a sitting governor — underscoring the broad, united support behind his campaign. Ford has received endorsements from Nevada’s entire Democratic Congressional Delegation and a majority of state legislators. 

Endorsements:

Jasie Holm, West Wendover Mayor

Gabriela Soriano, West Wendover City Councilwoman 

Margaret Johnston, Carlin City Councilwoman

Izzy Gutierrez, Former West Wendover Councilman 

Read more below:

Elko Daily Free Press: Ford says Elko County, other rurals, important to his campaign

• Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat who is running for governor, says Elko County and other rural communities are important to Nevada's economy — and to his campaign.

• To that end, he just wrapped of a tour of the state, stopping in the rural counties to reach all Nevadans. He visited Elko on Nov. 13 to what he described as a standing-room crowd at the Duncan Little Creek Gallery and Bar on Commercial Street. About 50 people attended.

• "I went to all 17 counties, because rural Nevada matters," he said in an interview on Thursday. "Throughout my entire career, as an elected official I've worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass bipartisan legislation that makes the lives of Nevadans better, wherever you are."

• Ford is challenging Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, who is serving his final term. Current polls put the two within survey margins of error. An October Noble Predictive Insights poll had Lombardo leading Ford by 3 points, 40% to 37%, with 23% of voters undecided. The poll's margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

• Ford described himself as a "bipartisan problem-solver" who has stood up to both the Trump and Biden administrations "because I don't care who occupies the White House."

• "If you're harming Nevadans, I'm not going to back down, you know. Look, I've been meeting with legislators over the past few months and I've been putting together my affordability agenda. And I couldn't put it together without talking to the Nevadans. This is a people-centered campaign and the people have to be in the center of it," Ford said. 

• "Elko is a very important economic driver in our state, and so I was there last week," he continued, adding he's been to Elko several times, including the National Cowboy Poetry Festival the past two years.

• "I've campaigned in West Wendover several times. The current governor hasn't even been to West Wendover, even though the community has asked him to come out there," Ford said. "But I've been there."

• He said he was the first Democrat to win a rural county in more than a decade. "I've won more rural votes than any other Democrat on the ballot in 2022 and I have success because I have a simple rule: I take no one for granted and I talk to everybody."

• Ford said he's had strong support from some Elko County politicians, winning endorsements from West Wendover Mayor Jasie Holm; Carlin council member Margaret Johnston; West Wendover council member Gabriela Soriano; and Izzy Gutierrez, a former West Wendover council member.

• Ford's [rural] agenda will focus on several key points: transportation, health, housing and insurance costs.

• The attorney general noted what Elko County residents had on their minds when he visited.

• "What Elko residents told me was that their number one concern was affordability and how are they going to pay for the housing bills while also putting food on the table and picking up their prescriptions. And you know, these are the things that people are worried about all across the state. And that's what I want to learn and I got good information from my visit there."

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