N.Y. party gaga over Giunchigliani
Dem seeking governorship wows upstart group with heft on left
A progressive powerhouse in New York politics thinks Nevada is ready to move left.
The Working Families Party, comprising influential labor leaders and progressive activists in the northeastern United States, thinks that move starts with getting Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani into the Nevada governor’s mansion in November.
Giunchigliani is facing off in the Democratic primary against fellow commissioner Steve Sisolak, a candidate with a hefty war chest who began his campaign last summer by touting himself as a moderate.
The WFP has a recent history of challenging and upending more moderate incumbent Democrats in legislative primaries in New York, Connecticut and even Oregon. The group, known for its powerful and coordinated ground games, has also been instrumental in bringing policy issues such as a $15 minimum wage and government-mandated paid sick leave to the top of the national Democratic Party agenda.
“My platform, I think, mirrors what they’ve been talking about,” Giunchigliani said. “I want to build a Nevada that works for everyone and not just the privileged few, and I think that resonates with them.”
Dan Cantor, the national committee chairman for the WFP, said the group
CANDIDATE
Aaron Ford, who was a major proponent of the law that launched the program.
“I’manoldmaninhere,” 53-year-old Eric Erwin told the group. “I’ve squandered a lot of opportunities. This is the only turning point I’ve ever made in my life.”
Students in the program take an academic and life success course to start. The course teaches strategies for mastering academic and life success, including goal setting, time management and personal responsibility. An oral communication course is the next class for those who want to go on to college.
CSN professor Kevin Mitchell said he holds the inmates to the same stan- dards he does students on CSN campuses. Above and beyond asking students to complete assignments, Mitchell said the program is changing hearts and minds.
Ford shared similar sentiments.
“I stand here with goose bumps,” said Ford, who is also running for state attorney general. “You have made Senate Bill 306 worthwhile.” (The 2017 bill established the program.)
Craig von Collenberg,
director of apprenticeship studies and safety programs at CSN, said the program has done amazing work sofar.butthetruetestwill come after the prisoners are released. To help with that, the college has forged community partnerships, withgroupslikehopefor Prisoners, to ensure that the inmates have support outside of prison.
Jon Ponder, founder and CEO of Hope for Prisoners, said he’s received a commitment from Laborers Union Local 872 to help fast track the vocational students into careers. Inmates on the college readiness track are being paired with CSN advisers.
The same number of women prisoners are also being educated at the Florence Mcclure Women’s Correctional Center. The
pilot program will continuewithanewgroupof50 prisoners this fall. Officials say they hope it will become a permanent item in future statebudgets.
“Iwanttoseeyouguys succeed,” Ford said. “A lot of us believe in you. A lot of us wanttoseeyoumakeit.”
Caraballo said he recognizes the need to heed those words. Upon release, he’ll not only be working on his educational goals, but on the goal to remain in recovery.
“I have to work at it every day,” he said. “I have to keep my support group strong, and trust in people who want to help. I can’t do it on my own anymore.”
Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal. com or 702-477-3897. Follow @Nataliebruzda on Twitter.