What Biden’s visit says about Nevada Democrats

The Democrats don’t have a big-name candidate for governor. But they do have Vice President Joe Biden.

On Wednesday, Biden became the second national party leader to visit Las Vegas in three days to rally Democrats for key races in the state.

Biden spoke in front of a backdrop emblazoned with the name of Erin Bilbray, the Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Joe Heck.

“I want to make it clear: Not all Joes are cut from the same cloth,” Biden said to the crowd after it chanted “Joe must go.”

The political season usually heats up after Labor Day. But the flurry of bigname visitors to Nevada shows the Democrats need the help early this year.

RepublicanstendtooutnumberDemocrats at the polls in nonpresidential elections because two key voting blocs, minority groups and single women, are less likely to go to the polls if there isn’t a popular name anchoring the ballot.

Democrats were able to re-elect Sen. Harry Reid in the 2010 midterm cycle but were unable to win the governor’s race, gave up a seat in the state Senate and lost a seat in Congress during the Tea Party wave.

This year, the Nevada Democratic Party — which Reid tightly controls — couldn’t find a viable candidate for governor, and party leaders fear their voters won’t turn out, said David Damore, UNLV political science professor.

“There’s nothing at the top of the tick-