“We will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld,” Vice President Kamala Harris, concession speech, Nov. 6.
The recent election here in Churchill County and Nevada had some interesting results. Former President Donald Trump won the state, 728,858 votes to Vice President Kamala Harris’s 682,966.
Nationwide, Trump won by 2.6 million votes, not the landslide he claims. That is less than the 2.9 million votes Hillary Clinton got over Trump in the popular vote in the 2016 election. In 2020, President Joe Biden got 7 million more votes than Trump, much closer to a landslide.
What was unexpected but welcomed by Democrats was the win by Democratic incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen over Republican challenger Sam Brown. Rosen received 701,105 votes to 677,046 for Brown. Thousands of Nevadans who voted for Trump then voted for Rosen or “None of these candidates.”
Brown faced a lot of opposition from the Nevada State Republican Party. His changing positions on the issues, such as Yucca Mountain and abortion, didn’t help.
His views on abortion were especially confusing. He claimed to be against abortion in most circumstances, but his wife’s campaign commercial seemed to show the opposite. She talked about her unexpected pregnancy and subsequent abortion, before she met Brown.
Amy Larsen was 24, unmarried and in the military, an adult with a secure job. When she discovered she was pregnant, she had an abortion at 5½ weeks, far too early to know if there were problems with the baby or any danger to her health. This was a totally elective abortion, which was her right.
She then met and married Sam Brown. She talked about his comfort and compassion. What is confusing and hypocritical is that she and Brown now want to prevent other women from having the choice she had. This showcases one of the fundamental principles of the modern Republican Party – hypocrisy. This isn’t new, but it’s still rather mind-boggling.
In line with their rejection of Brown, Nevadans approved ballot Question 6, which would amend the state constitution to create a fundamental right to an abortion. Churchill County voted 6,575 to 6,204 against Question 6, but statewide, the vote was 876,104 to 489,241 in favor, an overwhelming endorsement of reproductive rights. This was the first vote on this issue, so it will have to be approved again in 2026 to become part of the Nevada Constitution.
Another controversial initiative, Question 3, promoted an open primary election and ranked choice voting. The open primary, often called a “Jungle Primary,” would list every candidate for an office regardless of party affiliation. People would then choose their preferred candidate from this very long list. The top five candidates would then proceed to the general election, regardless of party.
Since Question 3 was first approved in 2022, it would have become law if passed in 2024. However, it was defeated 731,794 to 639,067. Nevada’s normal primary election process will continue.
Question 7 was another controversial issue. This law would require photo ID for in-person voting or the inclusion of personal information, such as a Social Security number, on mail-in ballots. This measure was overwhelmingly approved by Nevada voters, 1,029,608 to 376,179. This will need to be voted on again in 2026 to become law.
Much of the opposition was based on the fact that this is a solution in search of a problem, since voter fraud is basically non-existent in Nevada. If this is approved a second time, the hope is it won’t disenfranchise people who may not have the required identification. We’ll have to see.
Nevada’s results illustrate a nationwide phenomenon this election. “Exit polls showed that the more attention voters paid to political news, the more likely they were to vote for Harris, by wide margins. Harris +13 for voters who paid a great deal or a lot of attention. Trump +23 for voters who paid little or none at all. In a double-blind poll conducted in October, voters preferred Harris’s policies to Trump’s when they weren’t told whose policies were whose.” (Dan Rather, Team Steady, Nov. 11)
Nevadans chose Trump but showed they agreed more with Harris’s positions. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, reflect on what she said. These are the principles we must fight to uphold over the next four years.
Jeanette Strong, whose column appears every other week, is a Nevada Press Foundation award-winning columnist. She may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.