In The News: Department of Political Science

Republicans have taken the lead over Democrats in Nevada’s voter registration numbers, marking the first time in nearly 20 years the GOP has outnumbered Democrats in the battleground state.

Democrats are trying to figure out how to make a comeback in Nevada after President Trump became the first GOP presidential candidate to win the state since President George W. Bush in 2004.

Two years ago in Carson City, Nevada legislators and the governor played tug of war with policy proposals. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and GOP legislators pushed for need-based private school scholarships, but the Democratic-majority Legislature wouldn’t budge. They wanted universal school lunches, but the governor rejected it with his veto power. At the same time, the Legislature and the governor passed a major education funding bill.

Democrats are trying to figure out how to make a comeback in Nevada after President Trump became the first GOP presidential candidate to win the state since President George W. Bush in 2004.

The metropolitan Las Vegas area continues to be a popular destination for folks looking to leave Southern California.

The metropolitan Las Vegas area continues to be a popular destination for folks looking to leave Southern California.
A 2022 survey conducted by Austin Wang at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas suggested that TikTok had no marked influence on supporters of the DPP or the KMT opposition, which supports closer ties with China. But among people who supported the smaller Taiwan People’s party, which benefited from younger swing voters’ distaste for traditional partisan politics, “whether or not they use Douyin has a significant impact on political attitudes," Wang wrote.

The Nevada Legislature begins its lawmaking session on Feb. 3, starting a 120-day spirit to get hundreds of bills considered before the Legislature adjourns until 2027.

This week on Politics Now with host John Langeler:
- 2024 was an up-and-down year in politics. We take a look at the political comeback of Former President Donald Trump and his win Nevada
- The Nevada Legislature is once again under Democratic control despite having a Republican Governor. We look at what we can expect from the next session
- From a new Las Vegas mayor to a Republican getting on the county commission, we discuss what changes we can expect to see in our local politics

Kamala Harris didn't stand a chance in Nevada. Or at least it would've been almost impossible given the state's shift away from Democrats and toward Republicans over the past four years.

The 2024 election is over but some Nevadans are still getting political spam texts. The messages ask the receiver to click a link to donate money, sign a petition or participate in a survey.

For the first time in two decades, Nevada swung red in a presidential election. President-elect Donald Trump won the state by just over three percentage points in the 2024 general election. (In 2016 and 2020, he lost to the Democratic presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden by just under three percentage points.)