LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Alex Weaver moved to Las Vegas a little under two years ago, and while she's always paid attention to politics, she's been turned off by the American political discourse over the past few years.
She's still skeptical about many national politicians today — especially former President Donald Trump — but she thinks President Joe Biden's recent decision to leave the 2024 race was something that needed to happen.
"Part of me was definitely like, oh, thank God," Weaver said. "I didn't think Biden was going to be effective for the next four years. In my personal opinion, it was time for him to go."
As it appears now, Vice President Kamala Harris will likely ascend to the top of the Democrat ticket.
A self-described liberal, Weaver said it's "totally ridiculous" that American has yet to elect a female president, so she's not hiding the fact that she'll support Harris — if she ends up being the nominee — over Trump.
But Weaver is also a little worried that Harris might not be liberal enough for some left-leaning voters.
"I do have mixed feelings," Weaver said. "(Harris) is more centrist than I am."
Meanwhile, Las Vegas resident Pablo Murillo, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico City, said he doesn't see very much daylight between the two major political parties here.
"I don't see much difference from when Trump was president to when Biden was president," Murillo said.
For Las Vegas visitor Coryne Rich, who lives in Houston, having Harris at the top of the ticket would provide a needed boost for the Democratic base.
"I'm a big Joe Biden supporter, but we needed something that was significantly going to change the race in our favor," Rich said. "I think this could be it. I think it's a risky move, but risky is what we need right now to hang on to our democracy."
If fundraising figures are any indication, Rich might be right. In just the first 24 hours since Biden's announcement, Harris has been able to raise over $80 million, according to the Associated Press.
