Outsiders spending millions on Nevada races

State could help decide who controls the House

The midterm elections are less than two months away, and outside groups are ramping up their spending in Nevada in hopes of influencing Silver State voters when they go to the polls.

Since Sept. 1, outside groups from across the political spectrum have announced plans to spend more than $17 million in races for Congress, governor, attorney general and more.

Much of the money coming into the state is going toward television and digital ads. And with competitive races all over the Nov. 6 general election ballot, Nevada is a prime target for groups supporting Democrats and Republicans.

CONGRESSIONAL RACES

Most political observers expect the GOP to lose seats in the House but say Nevada’s 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts could flip from blue to red. Republican Danny Tarkanian, who narrowly lost his CD3 bid in 2016, has been a big beneficiary of the outside attention.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a political action committee backed by House Republican leadership, announced Wednesday that it will spend $2.5 million on TV and digital ads attacking Democrat Susie Lee in that race.

The CLF announcement comes on Senate Governor and attorney general the heels of a $1.5 million investment by America First Action into the Tarkanian-lee race. The PAC, which is investing in 12 midterm races across the country, is dedicated to electing federal candidates “who support the agenda of the Trump-pence administration,” officials said.

But not all the outside money in the race is against Lee.

EDF Action, the advocacy arm of the Environmental Defense Fund, this week announced it will spend $1 million targeting candidates in four competitive House races. The group is going after “three anti-environment incumbents” and Tarkanian. EDF officials said Tarkanian has a “documented scandal-ridden past” and extreme views on climate change.

The group spent $175,000 in mailers against Tarkanian in the 2016 cycle.

National groups are investing big bucks to sway Nevada’s 4th Congressional District race, which is a rematch between Democrat Steven Horsford and Republican Cresent Hardy, who each held the district for one term before losing re-election bids.

The Democratic Congressional Congressional Committee is investing $3 million in Nevada, spokesman Andrew Godinich said.

In Nevada’s U.S. Senate race, the Senate Leadership Fund is spending $1.1 million to target Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, who is challenging GOP Sen. Dean Heller.

STATEWIDE RACES

Federal races always get outside attention, but key in-state races have also gotten plenty of love.

On Tuesday, Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun reform group financed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced that it would spend $3.5 million to support Democrats Steve Sisolak and Aaron Ford, who are running for governor and attorney general, respectively.

Question 5, the automatic voter registration initiative on November’s ballot, got a boost this month when the American Civil Liberties Union announced it would spend $1.15 million to support the measure.

That represented the first time the national civil rights group has put money into a Nevada ballot measure.