New Faces for Democratic Party

(Las Vegas, NV) Two western states made history on January 3rd, 2017, as the first Latina and the first woman of African & Eastern-Indian descent were sworn in as United States Senators. One from Nevada, the other from California.

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto caused a striking blow to her GOP contender, Fmr. Rep. Joe Heck during the November 2016 general election; making her the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate.

Cortez Masto, granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, was the former Attorney General of Nevada before being elected to the U.S. Senate. Sen. Cortez Masto turned down a bid to run as Governor of Nevada in 2014 after Sen. Harry Reid announced his resignation. Reid served in the Senate for 34 years; a decade of which as Senate Majority Leader.

After an embattled and heated campaign, which drew national attention due to the controversial campaign campaigns from both contenders, Cortez Masto ended up crossing the finishing line in November; beating her opponent, Heck. As many voters across the nation witnessed a stunning defeat of Hillary Clinton to President Trump, the Nation turned its focus to Nevada and California where two Senate seats were up-for-grabs. In the end, the GOP received a prominent upset in Nevada when Rep. Heck finally conceded to Cortez Masto, once all precincts were reporting that she had taken the lead of 47% to his 45%. Heck told local media he knew his bid for senate was over when votes were starting to trickle in from Clark County (most democratically dense part of Nevada where Las Vegas, North Las Vegas & Henderson are located.) Clark County also contains the largest voter-block out of the State of Nevada.

Yet, Nevada’s western neighbor, California, was also undergoing a similar situation.

Retired Senator Barbara Boxer served as the junior senator of California since 1992. She announced her resignation in 2014 alongside Sen. Harry Reid. Yet, due to a new amendment to California's Constitution, general election opponents, for any elected office, are not based off separate party winners during their respective primary elections. This new law made it so the top two vote-getters in the primary would face-off in the general election, despite party affiliation.

California has been known to be one of the most democratically dense states in the U.S. and has had very rarely elected a republican governor or senator. Moreover, California has known to be progressive when it comes to elections. In 1992, it became the first state in the U.S. to elect two women to represent California’s constituents in the Senate Chambers. Fast-forward to the 2016 California June Presidential Primaries: out of 50 candidates who ran for the vacant senate seat, two democrats made it to the top: Attorney General of California Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez of Los Angeles. As the focus turned towards the general election, California not only ensured it would keep a democrat holding the office of U.S. Senator; but it ensured a woman would succeed Sen. Boxer.

From the beginning Harris was favored by democrats and republicans alike; receiving endorsements from Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton & Jimmy Carter. Harris also received republican endorsements from Former Sec. of States Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell. Both republicans served under Former President George W. Bush’s administration.

On general election night Harris defeated Sanchez by a landslide victory carrying almost 63 percent of the vote. On January 3rd, she was sworn in as the Jr. U.S. Senator of California, as well as becoming the first woman of African/Indian descent to hold this office.

The day after Sen. Harris' swearing in ceremony, rumblings began that Harris may take on President Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Although, her staff declined to comment on such claims, news began to filter across the U.S. and abroad as her star power began to rise. Many broadcast news organizations compared her to Barack Obama: an unknown senator with amazing oratory skills and a persuasive personality. Sen. Harris was thrust into international stardom recently after she was cut off during her questioning of current U.S. Attorney General Jeff sessions during his confirmation hearing. She refused to be silenced by the Chair of the Committee and repeatedly asked AG Sessions to answer her questions. Finally, the Chair had her microphone cut off. In doing so it caused international uproar. People on both sides believed Sen. Harris of California should not have been treated as such; especially in front of camera’s which beamed the tense encounter to all corners of the United States and Europe. Some even claimed it was due to her gender and nationality; however, many believe these claims to be baseless & unwarranted. After the dust settled at the Capitol, it was a good day for Sen. Harris, according to her Communication’s Director citing it gained her notoriety, which is uncommon for first-term, relatively unknown U.S. senator.

Now the nation turns to the 2018 mid-term election cycle.

Many gubernatorial campaigns are well underway, as well as candidates vying for vacant or incumbent senate & house seats. Republicans are putting forth all effort to prevent the Democrats from winning a majority in the U.S. Senate.

Nevada will once again be the attraction of national media as the Senior Senator of Nevada, Republican Dean Heller, is up for re-election.

Quinnipiac University’s nonpartisan poll states Heller’s approval rating has plummeted after he backed out of his promise to vote with democrats to defeat the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Sen. Heller appears poised to face a difficult reelection as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) continues to funnel money and volunteers to Heller's opponent in Nevada.

Sen. Heller's chief opponent in the upcoming November mid-term election will most likely be democrat Congresswoman Jacky Rosen.

Rep. Rosen represents Nevada's 3rd congressional district and was elected in 2016. Rosen's district includes parts of Las Vegas, Henderson, and other un-incorporated parts of Clark County. Clark County has the largest population compared to any other county in Nevada; and it is a predominately democratic county. With Rosen making headway in Nevada to unseat incumbent republican, Sen. Heller, more media attention is being directed at the Silver State.

Yet the midterm elections are still a few months away, and with the ever-changing political climate the U.S., it has become unpredictable as to what might happen.

However, this much is certain: as the nation progresses towards the 2018 midterm elections, two western states, Nevada and California, will once again be in the spotlight of national politics.

*Published on KTNV-ABC News website; syndicated on other media outlets.

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