Candidates can’t write off Northern Nevada voters

Souther Nevada might have the state’s most populous county and a majority of the state’s population, but Nevada’s gubernatorial candidates know they can’t ignore the state’s northern counties if they want to win in November.

While a majority of the state’s registered voters reside in blue Clark County, Nevada’s most-populous county, registered Republican voters GOP outnumber Democrats in every other county in the Silver State. It’s a factor that has helped keep a Republican in the governor’s mansion since 1999. The nearly 140,000 registered Nevada Democrats who live outside of Clark County are outnumbered by over 200,000 Republicans, and low turnout among either party could tip the scales in a close statewide race like the one for governor is expected to be.

The major party nominees — Democrat Steve Sisolak and Republican Adam Laxalt — are well aware of the importance of Northern Nevada votes.

Washoe County, which favored Hillary Clinton in 2016 and helped make Nevada a bright spot for Democrats nationally by electing a Democratic senator, is second in population to Clark County. It takes up a large chunk of northwestern Nevada and includes the city of Reno. Republicans there are working to turn out the vote and make the county “red again.”

In the competitive Democratic primary for governor — which pitted Sisolak against fellow Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani — Giunchigliani won Washoe County with 51.68 percent of the vote compared with Sisolak’s 39.1 percent.

Washoe County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sarah Mahler said she was one of those voters who supported