Can Nevada Dems oust the GOP lieutenant governor? A national org is spending $1.5M to try.

Indy Elections takes you behind the headlines of Nevada politics, delivering scoops and smart analysis on the races that could reshape our lives. You can change your newsletter settings here.

In today's edition: How candidates are leveraging the power of influencers this election cycle. Plus: An exclusive look at new, record spending for the Democrat in the lieutenant governor's race and an upcoming visit from President Donald Trump (R). 

My colleagues have some #WeMatter updates that signal Democrats have hope for flipping seats in the Silver State.

Mini Racker reports that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has added the 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate, former Assm. Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno), to its Red to Blue list, which is reserved for the committee's top targets. Isabella Aldrete also has an exclusive look at new record spending from the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association.

We're all sleep-deprived and, except for one team member, over-caffeinated (I don't know how Eric Neugeboren, who doesn't drink coffee, is still functioning), but we're committed to bringing you the news as it happens.

This newsletter is published every week. We want to hear from you! Email your temporary newsletter editor, Tabitha Mueller, at tabitha@thenvindy.com. 

The "authenticity" trap

Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) is seeking to boost his campaign's online footprint by partnering with social media influencers. 

It makes sense. As I highlight in my story today, a growing share of voters gets its news from social media. But I suspect obsessing over online clout could become a trap for candidates, not just in Nevada but everywhere. How authentic can a politician seem while partnering with content creators who sometimes take paid brand deals and whose audiences are trained to scroll past information rather than process it?

UNLV professor Benjamin Morse told me politics these days is all about "authenticity," but emphasized it's difficult to pinpoint exactly how politicians can achieve this.

"The experience I've had talking about it with my students is if you are in any way curating your 'authentic personality,' you're going to get caught. … The only way to be authentic is to be authentic," he said, citing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) as a success story.

My conversation with Morse came to mind as I attended a Ford event in the Arts District, where a handful of influencers bar hopped with the attorney general. Most of them filmed the entire time, many using professional lighting or selfie sticks. It didn't seem that authentic to me. 

I had a similar reaction to a video posted by the "Latinos con Lombardo" Instagram account, which featured a caption seemingly aimed at boosting Gov. Joe Lombardo's personality points: "Governor Lombardo's humorous side during an event with faith leaders." (The joke was about him balding.)

I suspect a lot of the discourse around authenticity boils down to, "I already agree with this politician, so therefore, I find them more likable." Partnering with influencers won't convert voters who hate a particular candidate, but could galvanize the base enough to make a difference in competitive races. 

Reporting this story also reminded me just how many Americans get their news after it's been filtered through someone else's perspective on a third-party platform. 

I have a debilitating X addiction, so I can't judge, but it is a good reminder: Donate to The Indy! Help us hire our own influencer so we can survive in this cannibalistic attention economy. 

— Kate Reynolds

What we're reading and writing

What does cutting 900 regulations actually mean?

Humboldt County pays $1.6 million after settling with a woman imprisoned because of her miscarriage. 

Check out this map tracking data centers.

Indy Ad Watch: Record spending in LG's race

The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA) is pouring a record $1.75 million into Sandra Jauregui's (D) campaign — the largest ever investment into a Nevada LG's race.  

As part of that effort, the DGLA is releasing English and Spanish ads targeting incumbent Stavros Anthony (R) and calling him "one of Nevada's most corrupt politicians." It is also investing $250,000 toward a mail program supporting Jauregui. 

"Nevadans deserve a Lt. Governor who puts them first. That's why Nevadans across the state are backing Sandra Jauregui," DLGA Executive Director Kevin Holst said in a press release.

The campaign also released its first ad on Tuesday morning, touting Jauregui's opposition to data centers and plan to ban stock trading among lawmakers. Check it out here.

• Ad spending in Southern Nevada local government races has cooled since the primary. Most candidates spent the bulk of their cash in the primary — since then, most have only put forward a couple of hundred dollars after their primary ads. Here's some of what we're noticing from before and after the primary:
  • North Las Vegas Councilmember Scott Black took out an ad in his race against his primary opponent, Assm. Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas), and has only spent $198 since then. The $120,271 ad features Black in front of an old "classic VW bus … that needed some attention," before turning to a newer, shinier Volkswagen bus, a switch that Black likens to the transformation of North Las Vegas.
  • Clark County Commission District F candidate Albert Mack (R), who was unsuccessful in his bid to clinch the Republican spot from Assm. Heidi Kasama (R-Las Vegas), spent the most of any local candidate, with $425,569. In comparison, Kasama spent $95,504 on digital and cable ads. After she won, Kasama spent around $3,300. Neither the nonpartisan candidate Becky Harris, a former state senator, nor Democrat Minja Yan has spent any money on ads. 
  • In District E, incumbent Commissioner Tick Segerblom (D) hasn't opened his purse strings for an ad, though his Republican opponent, Manny Kess, spent $499 on three digital ads, all in Spanish, featuring his wife, Mayra Kess.  In one, she says, "Manny is my husband, and I know his heart." Kess himself is Greek Orthodox.
• Small-business owner David Flippo (R) is up with a new ad in the 2nd Congressional District that highlights how hard the candidates are working to tie their opponents to unpopular data centers. The spot slams former Assm. Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno) for giving "nearly half a billion dollars to data centers" and "working for data centers, not us." But just as her ad on the subject was deemed "misleading," his ad misrepresents her stance. As she told The Indy in May, she supports the Reno data center moratorium and said Nevada should end "the sweetheart deals" she supported under different conditions a decade ago. 

— Isabella Aldrete, Oona Milliken and Mini Racker

Mini Series: Saving Lt. Col. Flippo

Trump returns — President Donald Trump will make one more stop in Nevada before the midterms. Politico reported on Friday that his busy travel schedule would take him to Las Vegas in mid-October. But over the weekend, state GOP Chair Michael McDonald said that he had spoken to the president the day before and that Trump plans to visit Northern Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. Well-connected Republicans believe the trip will replace, rather than supplement, a stop in Southern Nevada. Asked about the president's plans, a White House spokesperson directed The Indy to the Republican National Committee, which declined to provide any information. Trump won NV-02 by double digits, and his visit could help boost small-business owner David Flippo (R) there. 

Shades of purple — The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added former Assm. Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno) to its Red to Blue program, reserved for top-tier candidates with the best chances of flipping GOP-held seats. DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) told The Indy she spoke with Benitez-Thompson last week, but dodged a question about whether the committee is planning any ad spending on her behalf. Still, the move marks an upgrade from the group's Districts in Play list as polling shows her performing surprisingly well. Qualifying requires meeting strict engagement and fundraising goals.

Rejecting Question 6 — Religious groups are coming out against Question 6, the Nevada ballot question to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution. The Archbishop of Las Vegas wrote a letter last week saying the proposal would have "grave and lasting consequences for vulnerable unborn lives." The Mormon church has also condemned the initiative.

A falsehood and a plug — Despite what this social media post says, Nevadans will still be receiving mail ballots this year, despite not complying with the president's election executive order. The post is part of election misinformation that The Indy is tracking this campaign season as part of a partnership with the University of Texas, Austin — and you can help too. Follow the instructions here to learn more about how to participate.

Ford's winning the youth vote — Young voters in Nevada are worried about political corruption, think everything costs too much and are backing Ford by a 2-to-1 margin over Lombardo. That's according to a new YouGov poll of Nevada registered voters age 18 through 29, where 58 percent of the 403 respondents said they plan to vote for Ford in the fall. Another 26 percent said they support Lombardo, while 11 percent said they are undecided. 

• Lombardo has higher name recognition but lower favorability than Ford among youth voters. Ford's approval rating is plus 18 points among youth voters, although 41 percent have not heard of him or have no opinion. Lombardo's approval rating is underwater among young voters, with a net rating of minus 21 points, and only 25 percent of voters have not heard of him or have no opinion. 
• As for issues that matter to young people, the economy, inflation and housing costs rank highest. Of the eight swing states YouGov surveyed, Nevada's young voters reported the most concern about government corruption, with 29 percent saying it was their top issue.

—  Mini Racker, Eric Neugeboren and Kate Reynolds

Looking Ahead

• Tuesday, Oct. 6 — Deadline to register to vote in Nevada in person or by mail
• Saturday, Oct. 17 — Early voting begins

A post that caught our eye: 

There's always someone keeping receipts…

We'll see you next week. 

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