A Simple Guide to Winning the Nevada Primary: Our Strategy for Change
The June 9, 2026, primary in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District is a big opportunity for change. There are eight candidates running, and no one is the current leader. The real challenge is to get our supporters excited and make sure everyone shows up to vote.
The Dynamics of a Crowded Field
Because there are eight candidates and so many choices, it’s hard to know who will win. If people split their votes, someone could win with just a small number. That’s why it’s super important for us to work together, stay focused, and make our campaign stand out.
Institutional Recognition: Figures like Teresa Benitez-Thompson leverage past legislative experience to build credibility with voters who prioritize established leadership and proven political track records.
Financial Resources: Candidates such as Greg Kidd and Matthew Fonken utilize significant campaign funding to ensure their messages reach the electorate, which is essential given the limited time remaining before the primary election date.
Grassroots Activation: Campaigns led by figures like Gamaliel “Gamy” Zavala Enriquez demonstrate how a focus on progressive, localized activism can mobilize specific demographics that might otherwise feel disconnected from the traditional political machine.
Strategic Uncertainties and Voting Trends
The electoral map in the 2nd District is further complicated by geographic and ideological factors. Without an incumbent to anchor the race, the competition has become an open contest for the party’s direction.
Geographic Distribution: Candidates with strong historical ties to Reno, Sparks, or rural areas may find their support concentrated in specific zones, potentially allowing an opponent with broader, albeit thinner, support to claim a victory.
Ideological Segmentation: The spectrum of candidates, ranging from moderate to progressive, creates overlapping “lanes.” If too many candidates occupy the same ideological space, they risk cannibalizing each other’s voter base, effectively clearing the path for an opponent from a different part of the party spectrum.
Primary Turnout Constraints: With 122,535 registered Democrats, the final result will be highly sensitive to the turnout of dedicated party members. Since early voting is scheduled to commence on May 23, 2026, candidates have a very narrow window to finalize their outreach efforts and ensure their supporters reach the polls.
This primary is a big test for all of us. The winner will be the one who gets their supporters to actually vote. With eight candidates, we need a clear message and a strong plan to turn out every supporter we have.
Our Strategy: How We Win Together
1. Getting Everyone Motivated: Many working people, especially Latinos, Hispanics, and African Americans, feel like politicians haven’t helped with things like low pay or high prices. Some people feel so frustrated that they don’t bother to vote. We need to show everyone that this election is about fighting for our future. If we vote, we can turn our economic power into political power.
2. A Real Progressive Plan: I am the only candidate with a truly progressive plan—giving every Nevadan $1,300 every month, no matter what. This Universal Basic Income will be paid for by a Green Marshall Plan, which means investing in renewable energy and Nevada’s lithium resources to create good jobs and help the environment. We can lead the country and the world with this plan.
3. Supporting Communities of Color: Our campaign shows special love and attention to Latino, Hispanic, and African American communities. Your voices and votes matter. When we lift up our communities, we make Nevada—and America—better for everyone.
4. Voting Matters—Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise: Some people say voting doesn’t matter, but that’s not true. There’s even a billionaire in this race who keeps spending millions of dollars to win—because he knows every vote is powerful. If we all show up, we can change things for regular people, not just the rich.
5. My Story—Why I’m Fighting for You: I’m the only Latino in this race, and I’m running on your side. I come from a family of hard workers—my grandfather was a Bracero who came to the U.S. to help feed America during World War II, and my mom worked in the fields too. I was born in that environment, but because of social mobility, my parents became homeowners, small business owners, and citizens just a decade after the 1986 amnesty. I became the first in my family to graduate high school and go to college. After 9/11, my patriotic response was to become a public servant, dreaming of a career as a diplomat. But economic inequality forced me to drop out of school. I have a PhD from the school of hard knocks. I became homeless, went through the criminal justice system after losing my job in the Great Recession, survived on SNAP and minimum wage, and spent a decade under pretrial supervision. But I never gave up. I went back and got my master’s from UNR. If I can make it, so can you. I know what it’s like to struggle, and that’s why I’m fighting for real change.
If we work together and stick to this plan, we can beat low turnout and split votes. We can build a team of the most motivated, progressive voters and win this primary. Let’s make history in Nevada!
