Nevada' s biggest union is stumping on the economy for Dems

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Nevada' s biggest union is stumping on the economy for Dems

Culinary Union member Maria Orozco (R) hands voter information to a resident as she canvasses at an apartment complex in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 8. Photo: David Becker for the Washington Post via Getty. Nevada’s biggest workers' organization — the Culinary Union — says it's helping Democrats in the midterms by focusing on the economy and battling misconceptions about what's caused record inflation. Why it matters: The union, which represents 60,000 Nevada hotel staffers, bartenders and casino workers, is a political powerhouse and took credit for helping in 2020. It aims to reach 1.1 million voters this election on behalf of Democrats — its largest-ever door-knocking campaign. Union members — 54% of whom are Latino — are frustrated at how some economists, corporations and the GOP have blamed on and demands for higher wages, the union's secretary-treasurer and former president, Ted Pappageorge, told Axios Today. "Democrats need to come out swinging. They need to come out fighting about inflation," Pappageorge said. He pointed to the as a starting point. The big picture: is eroding support among Latinos for the Democratic party, polling shows.That's crucial in Nevada, where Latino voters have dramatically increased their presence. reports that more than 165,000 Nevada Latinos are likely to vote this November, a nearly 6% increase from the 2020 general election, according to projections by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. Details: The door-knocking campaign started in March and includes 100 members who are taking leave from work to canvass, the union says. It's knocked on 50,000 doors so far and hopes to double that by the end of the month. The intrigue: Nevada's population is majority non-white, according to the , and the third-most diverse state in the country. That's a major reason why it's for Democrats in the 2024 Presidential Election. The Democratic National Committee meets in Chicago later this month to determine who will vote first.

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