LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Vice President Kamala Harris has made numerous visits to Nevada, especially here in Las Vegas.
As Nevada is a crucial swing state, Vice President Harris' success here could significantly impact the outcome of the 2024 election.
Harris has already made six visits to Nevada this year showing she’s serious about winning in the Silver State.
But I wanted to learn more about what she needs to do to secure our votes.
"I think that she is in a pretty good position. What it looks like right now is that the swing state polls are showing a lot of growth potential for her,” said Rebecca Gill, a political science professor at UNLV.
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Gill tells me for months Harris has been addressing issues important to our community.
“She has been reaching out to a lot of the unions who have already supported the Biden-Harris ticket, to solidify those,” said Gill. “Those efforts have been underway already, and my guess is that they'll just continue. She needs to introduce herself in the context of a top-of-the-ticket role, now is the opportunity for her to talk about what she envisions, for her administration."
Gill said in order for Harris to win over Nevadans, she needs to articulate her plans clearly and connect with voters on pressing issues like the economy and immigration.
What do you think, or do you think, that Vice President Kamala Harris is able to assist in making those issues better for us Southern Nevadans as well?
“Harris is really going to need to explain, you know, what strategies they had been pursuing and what her vision is for, continuing to improve how the economy feels. It really is going to be up to, Kamala Harris to communicate well, what they have tried to achieve, what was in the way, what the true status is of the immigration issue, and how the various pieces of the things that the Biden-Harris administration did and the things that she envisions doing,” Gill said.
Another significant factor is Harris's background and experience, which could resonate with local voters.
“There is a lot of growth potential for her as her story becomes known, and as she is able to integrate, kind of, her entire biography and, as her perspective, as a woman of color, and as a former prosecutor, as a former senator, and as a VP,” said Gill. “I am fairly certain that she will be the nominee."
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Now, it's not set in stone just yet.
While Vice President Harris is the favorite to win the Democratic nomination at this point, she'll still need to win over delegates for next month's convention.
