Nevada
Debates don’t tend to have a lasting impact. Could last week’s be different?
While last week’s debate prompted further concerns about President Joe Biden’s cognitive fitness among pundits and some national Democrats, both Nevada Democrats and Republicans are shying away from the topic on the campaign trail.
Debates and campaign events usually have only temporary effects, according to Dan Lee, a political science professor at UNLV. Polls might change, but the effects dissipate over a couple of weeks, he said. Bigger predictors of election outcomes are partisanship and the state of the economy, he said.
But last week’s debate is different, Lee said. It was not like Biden gave a bad answer; rather, it brought up questions about his ability to be president, he said.
“Debates tend not to have lasting effects, but because this debate was more, you know, highlighting his perceived shortcomings in terms of his cognitive capabilities, that’s kind of something that could stick and what Democrats are worried about,” Lee said.
Voters have long expressed their concerns about both presidential candidates’ ages and ambivalence over the rematch. The debate heightened those concerns. A recent CBS News poll, for instance, found that 72 percent of 1,130 registered voters surveyed — including many Democrats — do not think Biden has the mental and cognitive health to serve as president. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly call on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election. He cited multiple polls showing Biden running substantially behind Democratic senators in key states.
“I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “It did not. Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s many lies.”
Nevada campaigning to shy away from cognitive concerns
Nevada Democrats, however, are sticking with the president — though Sen. Jacky Rosen and other candidates have been maintaining a distance from the president, who has not polled well in Nevada — and the Nevada Republican Party does not plan to focus on Biden’s health as a top campaign strategy.
The state’s Democrats have been focusing on the actions the Biden administration has taken, from investing in affordable housing and infrastructure and trying to lower health care costs.
Democratic Rep. Dina Titus, who has campaigned for Biden and was named to his re-election advisory board, stands by the president.
“I’ve known him, I’ve supported him, I’ve worked with him for a long time,” Titus said. “And do I wish he’d have been stronger? Of course. Do I wish he’d have called out the lies better? Yes. Do I wish he’d focused on all the good things the Democrats have done under his leadership? Yes. But you’ve got to remember, you can’t just focus on the superficial.”
Instead, you have to focus on the substance, she said.
“You play the hand you’re dealt, and that’s what we’re going to do,” she said. Democrats’ goal is to show Nevadans who Biden really is and what he’s accomplished.
A spokesperson for Sen. Jacky Rosen’s campaign painted the election as a choice between an administration “focused on lowering costs, growing the middle class, and restoring reproductive freedom” and “Trump’s MAGA agenda,” while distancing her from the president.
“Senator Rosen is focused on her own reelection campaign and continuing her track record as one of the most bipartisan, independent, and effective Senators,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
‘Feel sorry’
Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald told the Review-Journal he felt sorry for Biden.
“I know he had a bad night, but I think it’s deeper than that,” he said Monday. “I feel sorry for his family. It’s a major concern of who is running the country right now.”
That said, the Republican Party won’t focus on those cognitive concerns at a state level, said McDonald, who took on the role as senior campaign adviser for the Trump campaign.
Rather, McDonald said, the party will push on Trump’s record of helping working people and will highlight his plans and outlook for the future.
“We’re going to show the difference between the two,” he said.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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