The Climate Voters’ Handbook: Nevada

The Climate Voters’ Handbook: Nevada

The fight for our climate starts in Nevada.

Nevada must lead on climate action. As wildfires, heat waves, and droughts harm our communities and grow worse by the year, we don’t have a minute to spare in taking action. We need to elect leaders who understand the urgency of the situation and are ready to position Nevada as a climate action trailblazer.

What happens in Nevada’s election this year impacts the entire country. The outcome of our key races will determine our ability to take timely action on climate change. We need to end our dependence on fossil fuels, speed up the transition to renewable energy, and reduce emissions from our transportation system. And we need pro-climate leaders in office to make all of that happen.

Recently, we’ve seen historic progress from the federal government on climate action. The Inflation Reduction Act is the biggest investment in clean energy and climate justice in our nation’s history. We’ll need leaders at the state and federal levels to make sure that those investments are rolled out in the strongest way possible. But the Inflation Reduction Act alone is not enough.

We must continue to invest in climate action to stop the worst impacts of extreme weather events. In a 2021 poll by the Nevada Conservation League, 65 percent of Nevada voters indicated they want to support lawmakers taking strong action to combat climate change. This election, we can make sure that our elected officials represent this broad commitment to climate action.

Learn more about what’s at stake in Nevada during the midterm elections this November and how you can take action. Click on the links below to head to each section:

 

THE WHEN: Important dates

Don’t know if you’re registered to vote? Want to request a mail-in ballot? You’re in the right spot to have all your logistical questions answered! Check out this list of key deadlines and resources to make sure you don’t miss the chance to vote by November 8.

Make sure to…
By this deadline
More info
Register to vote
Without a Nevada driver’s license or ID card: Tuesday, October 11, 2022
With a Nevada driver’s license or ID card: Up to Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2022
All eligible individuals may register to vote in any of the following ways: online; by mailing a voter registration form to the county clerk or registrar of voters; in person at any Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles office; at your county clerk or registrar of voters’ office; at various social service agencies; and on college campuses.
If you will be 18 by Election Day, you can register or preregister through any of the methods listed above.
If you have a valid Nevada driver’s license or ID card, you may register online or in person any day up to Election Day. If you register to vote between October 21, 2022, and November 8, 2022, you must vote in person. If you are registered to vote before this window, you can vote through a mail-in ballot.
Early voting
Early voting begins on Saturday, October 22, 2022, and ends on Friday, November 4, 2022.
All residents of Nevada who are registered to vote prior to the deadline will receive a ballot in the mail and may vote early within the designated window.
Submit your mail-in ballot
Mail in: Postmarked by Tuesday, November 8, 2022, and received by Saturday, November 12, 2022
Return to a drop box: Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Drop box locations and hours will be in your mail ballot packet, in your sample ballot, and online.
VOTE!
Election Day—voting deadline
Tuesday, November 8, 2022

 

THE WHO: Meet the candidates

We must face the climate crisis head-on by electing environmental champions who will put Nevadans before the profits of polluters. The following candidates, endorsed by the NRDC Action Fund, have impressive records of fighting for a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable climate future.


STEVE SISOLAK

Running for governor
Governor of Nevada since 2019; former chair of the Clark County Commission

Why we support Sisolak

  • As governor, Sisolak has made building a clean energy economy a top priority. He has called for Nevada to become a leader in battery manufacturing, and signed bills to raise Nevada’s renewable portfolio standard to 50 percent by 2030 and to invest in clean energy transmission and energy efficiency programs.
  • Sisolak recognizes the threat that climate change poses to Nevada and has used his leadership to advance action. He committed the state to the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan group of states committed to the terms of the Paris Agreement. He also signed an executive order establishing a strategy to accelerate climate action and set emissions standards.
  • Sisolak championed Clean Cars Nevada to increase the availability of zero-emission vehicles, tackling transportation as the number one contributor to climate emissions.

CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO

Running for U.S. Senate
Senator for Nevada since 2017; former Nevada Attorney General

Why we support Cortez Masto

  • At a time when the Colorado River is at an all-time low and Nevadans face greater threats of water insecurity, Cortez Masto has been a champion of drought mitigation. She was a leader in the fight to ensure the Inflation Reduction Act included measures to conserve water in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, Arizona/Utah.
  • In the face of more severe and frequent wildfires across the West, Cortez Masto has worked to secure funding for wildfire management and prevention. These investments will help keep Nevadans safer and prevent property and wild spaces alike from being destroyed.
  • Cortez Masto has been a consistent champion of conservation, protecting the Ruby Mountains from oil and gas drilling and keeping nuclear waste out of Yucca Mountain.

DINA TITUS  

Running for U.S. House of Representatives (NV-01)
Representative for Nevada since 2013

Why we support Titus

  • Titus has used her position as chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management to highlight climate impacts on the West, drawing the connection between extreme weather and harm to workers.
  • Titus has worked to promote investments in clean energy, smart growth, and water conservation, including setting minimum requirements for energy companies to rely on renewable sources and establishing tax credits for renewable energy.

STEVEN HORSFORD

Running for U.S. House of Representatives (NV-04)
Representative for Nevada since 2019; former Nevada state senator

Why we support Horsford

  • During his time as the Nevada State Senate majority leader, Horsford led the charge to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, which funded training and placement for jobs in clean energy and energy efficiency. As a representative, he has continued to champion the transition to a clean economy by voting in support of key legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
  • Horsford has consistently centered the need for action on wildfires and droughts, which are devastating Nevada and the rest of the West. He voted to pass the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, which provides much-needed funding to combat these crises.

SUSIE LEE   

Running for U.S. House of Representatives (NV-03)
Representative for Nevada since 2019

Why we support Lee

  • Lee has been a leader on drought mitigation efforts. She helped secure funding for large-scale water recycling in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and later introduced a bill to expand on that funding.
  • As a member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, Lee helped negotiate $25 million in funding to make Nevada homes more energy efficient. Not only does this help reduce emissions to combat climate change, but it saves Nevadans money every month in utility costs.

Important note: This election cycle, the NRDC Action Fund focused on endorsements for key federal and gubernatorial races. We know there are other important races on the ballot, so we encourage you to seek out other trusted resources to help you learn about candidates in races we have not covered.


THE HOW: Take action

Share this voter guide on social media
Make sure your friends and family know that the climate is on Nevada’s ballot and that they have all the info they need to vote for climate champions on November 8.

Share to Facebook. >>
Share to Twitter. >>

Sign up to be a poll worker on Election Day!
Poll workers power our democracy—and Nevada’s polling stations need your help this year more than ever!

Volunteer with Power the Polls to make sure every polling location stays open and every voter has a chance to cast their ballot. >>

Join Slack to connect with other climate activists
Find other people like you fighting for climate action in Nevada—because a grassroots movement requires strength in numbers. You’ll be the first to know about important volunteer opportunities and actions you can take to help secure a victory this fall.

Join NRDC Action Fund’s All In for Climate Action Slack space. >>

Sign up to write letters to Nevada voters
We’re partnering with Vote Forward to mobilize volunteers like you to write thousands of get-out-the-vote (GOTV) letters to voters in Nevada. This is one of the most effective ways to make sure people turn up to vote—in fact, writing personal letters can increase turnout results by up to 3.4 percentage points!

Sign up to write letters on NRDC Action Fund’s Vote Forward hub. >>


THE RESULTS: As of November 16, 2022

We know that when it comes to fighting climate change and securing a clean and healthy future for everyone, every election counts. This one was no different. Democrats fought hard to retain their majority in the Senate, while Republicans are poised to take narrow control of the House of Representatives.

But a split Congress means leaders from both parties have a responsibility to work together to build a livable future for all. Now it is important to continue to push for equitable climate action and insist that both parties work to deliver a clean energy future. The NRDC Action Fund has a long history of working with bipartisan legislatures to achieve real climate progress. There is tough work ahead—but for now let’s celebrate the new and returning climate champions.

Here are the returning climate champions at the helm in Nevada:

  • Catherine Cortez Masto has been re-elected as senator.
  • Dina Titus has been re-elected as representative for District NV-01.
  • Steven Horsford has been re-elected as representative for District NV-04.
  • Susie Lee has been re-elected as representative for District NV-03.

The following candidate was not elected this year:

  • Steve Sisolak, who ran for governor.

Our journey does not end on Election Day. We will continue to defend the wins and learn from the losses over the last two years. And we hope you will continue to support this work.


Paid for by the NRDC Action Fund, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.