Nevada Dem Gov Primary Grows More Divisive As Union Support Splits

With a looming Democrat gubernatorial nomination fight between Steve Sisolak and Chris Giunchigliani already giving Democrats cause for concern in Nevada, disunity within the party’s key union backers threatens to further divide liberal Democrat primary voters. After the Clark County Education Association decided to back Sisolak’s candidacy earlier this month, the Nevada State Education Association announced this week that it would endorse Giunchigliani, putting the state teachers union “at odds” with its local chapter.

The dueling endorsements could further weaken Democrats’ chances of victory after Nevada political scientist Erik Herzik warned that “divisive primaries rarely help the winner going forward” and longtime Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston predicted that Democrats would lose the governor’s race this year thanks in part to “negatives heaped on” from a bitter nomination fight.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports:

“The state teachers union has endorsed Chris Giunchigliani’s bid to be Nevada’s next governor, again putting the organization at odds with the local chapter, who endorsed fellow Democrat Steve Sisolak two weeks ago.

Members of the Nevada State Education Association unanimously endorsed Giunchigliani, the organization announced Monday. She is a Clark County commissioner, a former state legislator, a former special education teacher and a previous president of both the local and state teacher’s unions…

That means the state and local unions will once again be at odds. In early January, the Clark County Education Association announced it will support Sisolak, also a Clark County commissioner.”