Turnout in last week’s state primaries dropped significantly from the 2020 and 2022 primaries, with fewer Nevadans participating across almost all counties. As of Friday morning, about 380,000 votes had been counted in the primary, a decrease of roughly 20 percent from the past two cycles. Despite the dropoff, voting by mail continued to dominate, as a greater share of Democrats and Republicans chose to vote by mail than two years ago, while the share of in-person voting decreased.

Drew Johnson’s victory in the Congressional District 3 Republican primary was a surprise to onlookers in Washington, D.C. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) had language ready for two of his opponents but had not bothered to draft a press release for Johnson winning in advance, two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed. (The NRCC denied that they did not have a release prepared.)

With the June 11 primary over, all eyes are looking to Nevada as more than just a swing state in the presidential election. Its congressional races could play a major role in determining the balance of power in the U.S. Congress — particularly in what is expected to be a competitive Senate race.

Executive Director of both Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West David Damore first discusses the results of Nevada’s Primary Election and the biggest takeaways from former President Trump’s Sunset Park rally. Then we discuss the opening of the Silver Copper Crossing Bridge and where other major infrastructure projects in Nevada are at.

In a May poll of voters in swing states, the New York Times / Siena College had two seemingly contradictory findings for the state of Nevada. Republican former President Donald Trump led President Joe Biden, a Democrat, by 12 points in a head-to-head matchup. Yet the poll also showed Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) maintained a 2 percentage point lead on her likely Republican challenger Sam Brown.

Much of the attention each presidential election cycle centers on swing states where the outcome can have an outsize impact on who wins the White House. But candidate campaigns and political analysts also zero in on smaller areas where factors like demographics and turnout can play critical roles in the race's ultimate outcome.

During an international reporting tour titled ‘Democracy is More Than Election Day’, arranged by the Global Public Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State, through its Foreign Press Centers and in cooperation with the Meridian International Center, a lecture was organized at the University of Nevada with Dr. David Damore, Professor of Political Science and Executive Director of the Lincy Institute and Brookings Mountain West. In his lecture, Dr. Damore spoke about the political landscape in Nevada, including election cycles and electoral candidates as the state is preparing for upcoming presidential elections in the U.S. in November 2024.

In recent years, millions of people across the United States have moved from Democratic cities to Republican suburbs, complicating the politics of swing states in a pivotal election year, according to a Stateline analysis.