Democratic presidential candidates are helping put Boulder City on the map.
Not that the city that built Hoover Dam needed more notice. We’ve been in the spotlight since the mid-1930s when that engineering marvel was completed.
But since June, four presidential candidates have visited our community to share their visions, convince voters to cast their ballots for them and keep their actions in the public eye. And I’m pretty confident they didn’t turn down any donations to their campaigns — if they were offered.
It’s easy to understand why so many candidates are stumping through the state. Nevada is the third in the nation to hold a primary election or caucus to help winnow the field. (The Democratic caucus is scheduled for Feb. 22.)
The results in Nevada can influence how those in the rest of the country vote in the primary.
Nineteen of the 20 major candidates seeking the party’s nomination and who qualified for the national debates were in Las Vegas on Saturday to appear at a forum at UNLV hosted by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Visiting the Las Vegas area, which is home to most of the state’s residents, makes sense. Clark County voters have overwhelmingly supported Democratic presidential candidates in every election since 1992.
But not Boulder City. In fact, at 5,197 to 2,791 there are almost double the number of registered Republicans than registered Democrats.
So why carve time out of their busy schedules to stop by?
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, who visited a private residence in Boulder City and spoke to a group of about 50 locals the day before the big forum in Las Vegas, said spending time in often-overlooked cities is a key part of his campaign.
“It is important for me to hear from all corners of the Silver State, and from communities that often are overlooked by presidential candidates. That’s why I was proud to be the first candidate to visit West Wendover, the first to visit Elko in 2020, and will continue to break new ground across the first-in-the-West caucus state as our campaign builds momentum.”
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who visited July 4, said he has a deep, personal connection to the state and its residents from communities large and small.
Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who also visited July 4, came to share his love of the U.S. and service to the nation.
Together, they painted a picture of life in small-town America and showed the city’s indefatigable community spirit.
These recent visits aren’t the first time presidential campaigns have targeted Boulder City. In 2015, Sen. Marco Rubio, who was trying to secure the Republican nomination, visited the local Elks Lodge.
All these visits point to one thing: Just as they have done since March 1, 1936, when Hoover Dam was officially completed, Boulder City and its residents will leave a lasting impression on this country.
Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.