Nevada saw a landslide victory in its Democratic primary this week for a state lawmaker who says she was targeted by Southwest Gas and other groups for promoting climate-change legislation.

Assemblywoman Lesley Cohen, D-Henderson, won the primary with about 70% of the vote. Southwest Gas contributed $10,000 to her primary opponent, Joe Dalia, after Cohen sponsored a bill last year requiring that energy planning be aligned with the state's climate goals. The group Nevadans for Economic Opportunity (NEO) paid for mailers attacking Cohen.

"They have a lot of money that they can deploy in small races where very few voters are paying attention to the fact that they're deploying this money, so that's concerning for reformers," said Kenneth Miller, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas who is an expert on money in politics. "The good news is that there's not a lot of evidence that that money, when it's spent, influences voters very much."

The Retail Association of Nevada, which funds NEO, also has contributed to the Dalia campaign. Dalia had no comment. NEO and Southwest Gas also did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

While this kind of political activity isn't illegal, said Matt Kasper, deputy director of the Energy and Policy Institute, which published an investigation into this race, it undermines the democratic process.

"It's unfair when you have a 'dark money' entity do these types of actions in political races," he said. "It confuses voters, it gives them misinformation; voters aren't able to see who is always behind these types of campaigns."

Cohen said she's now bracing for further opposition as she competes in the general election.

"These are groups that endorsed Donald Trump, and then they're coming after me in a Democratic primary," she said. "I worry that this is sending a chilling message to legislators, because if the coalition against me is successful, it's basically telling legislators, 'Get in line or we'll take you out.'"

Cohen's Assembly Bill 380 ultimately failed. It would have given the Public Utilities Commission more oversight over Southwest Gas and would have required the gas company to justify any expansion of natural gas, given the state's goal of "net-zero" emissions by 2050.

The nonprofit Este Poder has a goal of helping more young people of color in rural east Texas exercise their right to vote.

The organization holds voter registration drives in Cherokee, Gregg, Nacogdoches, Smith and Wood Counties and partners with other organizations to inform people about ballot issues locally and nationally.

Arely Cruz, communications associate for the group, said they recently created student chapters at Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Texas in Tyler.

"They promote civic engagement and do outreach into the community," Cruz explained. "We do conduct workshops in the classroom, attend community events and we are often on social media explaining the importance of voting, how to register and the steps involved in casting a ballot."

According to the Rural Democracy Initiative, people under the age of 35 are the most undecided voters and are among the least contacted by both nonpartisan and political efforts. Cruz noted while at events, volunteers also discuss issues important to students. Most said they are concerned about the environment, access to higher education and safety at schools.

In addition to in-person events, Este Poder uses social media to distribute digital campaigns, interviews with students and skits about the voting process to first time voters. Cruz added once young people are registered to vote they still need some guidance.

"They need that reminder, that there are other elections, not just the general presidential election in November, but there's also elections happening around them," Cruz emphasized. "That's where we get a lot of the questions like, why is it important for me to vote? And you get to talk about like, what precinct they live in, or the district that they live in and like who represents them."

Este Poder translates into "this power" or "east power." Cruz stressed they want to give people of color in rural east Texas the power they need to enhance their quality of life.


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The Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee and the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is a focal point.

Voters and academics also wonder how democracy is being defined amid turbulent political times. There have been calls from both parties to tone down the rhetoric after the weekend shooting. But there is still finger-pointing, with Trump supporters saying he has been "demonized" by those who say he is a threat to democracy. And in condemning violence, many Democrats said Trump has contributed to the hostile environment himself.

Mary Anderson, a voter from Arbor Vitae in northern Wisconsin, agrees the mood has grown overly toxic.

"There's no compromise. No one can talk to one another," Anderson observed. "It's just so polarized and it's getting worse."

Anderson, who has had family members vote Republican, does not like Trump's overall tone, saying he is too focused on grudges. She worries how the Project 2025 plan written by allies in his circle would affect women's civil rights. Trump has tried to distance himself from the plan.

Political scientists said the democracy debate is in a deep stalemate because voters no longer have a shared vision of how it should function.

Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, said it was not always the case. She pointed out voters used to largely agree on upholding democratic institutions in the same way. But she noted people have become disillusioned about politics, leading to more extreme actions in influencing the election process.

"We're at a state right now that even the word 'democracy' means different things, clearly, to different sets of Americans," Romero pointed out.

She explained the shift has led to different voting laws, intimidation at polling sites and, in some cases, violence. To restore healthy debate, she encouraged people to research information from nonpartisan civic engagement centers and secretaries of state. In the end, she added politicians take cues from voters who have yet to fully show they are ready to move on from the current environment.

"Every campaign and set of advisers and political strategists are always thinking about what can they do to win," Romero stressed.

In pursuit of election success, she argued a larger group of politicians will have to strongly disavow hateful ideology, leaving voters with different messaging to latch onto. Romero is part of a group of bipartisan election administrators, scholars and others releasing a new letter demanding less violent rhetoric.


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As the party announced Monday Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is the vice presidential candidate on the GOP ticket, progressive groups said they are concerned about Senator Vance's voting record and how his decisions have affected the state's working class.

Vance is a venture capitalist with investments in the health care industry.

Desiree Tims, president and CEO of Innovation Ohio, listed Vance's support for a national abortion ban, major corporations, and said some of his health care stances are "concerning."

"While I understand it may be very exciting for our Republican friends on the other side of the aisle, I think the public at large should be concerned and really paying attention to Senator Vance's record -- albeit brief -- in the U.S. Senate, but impactful nonetheless," Tims emphasized.

Vance opposes gender-affirming care for minors and supports denying health coverage to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Vance, 39, who has been in the U.S. Senate for a year-and-a-half, was announced as Trump's 2024 running mate on Monday afternoon at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Tims stressed now is the time for Ohio voters to educate themselves on the issues and register to vote. So far, more than 2.5 million people have been purged from the state's voter rolls. She noted Ohioans will see likely see a measure on the ballot this fall to reform the state's redistricting process, including replacing Ohio's Redistricting Commission with a voter-elected independent body.

"That's yet another opportunity for Ohioans to weigh in on direct democracy," Tims urged. "And participate on how they want districts to be managed and drawn in this state."

Tims added the last couple of days have been somber and sad for the nation, as well as a call to tone down political rhetoric, as more innocent lives were lost to gun violence.

"The assassination attempt on Donald Trump was certainly scary for folks in attendance and folks watching," Tims acknowledged. "And really just has no place in our democracy, especially when we're talking about political violence."

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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