Las Vegas Casino Union Rallying Nevada Dems, Nearing 1M Doors Goal

Posted on: November 3, 2022, 10:50h. 

Last updated on: November 10, 2022, 04:15h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Unite Here Las Vegas casino union is doing all it can to get out the Democratic Party vote for next Tuesday’s November 8 midterms.

Culinary Union Las Vegas casino midterms 2022 odds
Members of the Culinary Union gather at their Las Vegas headquarters in October for a meeting about getting out the Democratic vote in November. The 2022 midterms are shaping up to be a so-called “red wave” of Republican victories. (Image: The New York Times)

The Culinary Union, an affiliate of the nationwide Unite Here trade group, represents approximately 60K workers in Las Vegas and Reno employed by casino resorts. Members function in a variety of nongaming roles, including food and beverage staff and servers, housekeepers, laundry attendants, bellmen, and porters.

The union told Casino.org this week that its canvassers have knocked on more than 800K doors and are on track to reach one million Nevada residents by Election Day. The casino labor organization is urging Nevadans to vote blue.

We are proud to get out the vote for political leaders who will continue to fight to protect working families,” said Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union secretary-treasurer. “We have the most pro-worker representatives we have ever had in our lifetimes.”

Pappageorge said Nevada should reelect Governor Steve Sisolak, US Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, and US Reps. Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee. The union also supports Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom and North Las Vegas mayoral candidate Pat Spearman. All of the aforementioned lawmakers and candidates are Democrats.

“No voter believes Republicans are going to take on massive Wall Street landlords who are stealing our homes and ruining our neighborhoods,” Pappageorge said regarding skyrocketing rents across Southern Nevada.

The Culinary Union represents workers at most Las Vegas Strip casinos.

Last-Minute Efforts

The Nevada Democratic Party brought out its biggest name this week during the final stretch of the election season. Former President Barack Obama took the stage at Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas, where he implored voters to get behind Sisolak, Cortez Masto, and other Democrats.

But even with Obama’s plea and the Culinary Union knocking on nearly one million doors, the odds suggest that the GOP will oust Sisolak and Cortez Masto from office.

PredictIt bettors give Republican Nevada gubernatorial challenger Joe Lombardo, the sheriff in Clark County, an 80% chance of replacing Sisolak in Carson City and former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt a 75% likelihood of replacing Cortez Masto in DC.

Republicans have about a three in four chance of winning control of both chambers of Congress, per PredictIt. If Laxalt manages to top Cortez Masto, the Senate race will greatly help the GOP achieve its 2022 goal of assuming congressional power.

Record Spending

The 2022 election will be an all-time spending record for a midterm. Campaign finance records show donors have poured a staggering $9.3 billion into the 2022 races, surpassing the previous midterms spending record of $7.1 billion set in 2018.

Liberal donor George Soros has contributed the most political money this year, with more than $128 million going to Democratic candidates and PACs. Casino heir Dr. Miriam Adelson, who inherited her nearly $30 billion fortune from her late husband and Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson, gave $10 million to the 2022 GOP effort.

Other casino billionaires supporting Republicans this year include Tilman Fertitta, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Steve Wynn, and Phil Ruffin.