Nevada congressional candidate Charles Navarro made another campaign stop at the Pahrump Senior Center on Saturday, March 7.
Joining him were his wife Aly and newborn daughter Reagan.
During his two-hour-plus meet and greet, Navarro, who served in the Navy for 13 years, spoke about the importance of reaching out to voters in rural areas throughout the Silver State.
“I believe visiting every part of the district is important in relation to rural communities, but also understanding that the real issues have been unaddressed for way too long,” he said. “When I first started running and campaigning, I was approached and someone told me that I’m the first person they’ve seen in three years. Just because there are families and people that live in the rural communities, they shouldn’t be impacted negatively by the lack of attention and focus by their representatives.”
Navarro also talked about the ideological differences between he and the other candidates running for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, in terms of experience.
“Looking at my candidacy among the rest, I am able to actually bring years of experience in having dealt with a lot of federal agencies, but more importantly, the results that I have already been able to deliver for the people out here in this district, by bringing in over two million dollars for our veterans when I was working under Cresent Hardy, and helping to diversify the economy with some of the local towns as well.”
Additionally, Navarro noted that he is the lone candidate with experience on the issue of immigration.
“I am actually the only candidate that has visited the border, because as much as I want to work to fix immigration, it’s important for me that if I’m writing legislation on it I’m also aware of how it’s impacting communities around the nation,” he said. “I am super proud of that, and I hope to be able to deliver that message to the voters out here and let them know that on day one, when I get into Congress, I will be able to start working on these issues that have gone unaddressed for so many years, and I hope they listen.”
Navarro also touted the endorsements he’s received from both current and past elected officials throughout Nevada.
“I am very proud of the endorsements that I have received from elected officials around the state,” he noted. “I believe it’s a testament that the people who were elected in the local offices in these communities understand, and they see the value that I bring as a federal elected official up in Congress. They understand from the results that I have been able to deliver in the past, that I will still be able to continue to be that kind of fighter up in Washington, D.C. as well. Again, I am extremely grateful and appreciative for all of their support, and I hope to be able to be that representative for them as well.
“I am running for Congress because I believe that for far too long, a lot of the concerns and issues that are paramount to rural communities and to the families in this district, are unrecognized and unaddressed. To me that is unacceptable.”
Health care was yet another topic of discussion Navarro focused on during his visit.
“Having met with a lot of folks, one of the things that I aim to bring is getting their health care issues addressed, which have gone unrecognized, and getting them equal access to health care,” he said. “More importantly, I will work on helping deliver the infrastructure that they need in their communities.”
On an additional health-related issue, Navarro also spoke about how the coronavirus is impacting his campaign, as he travels throughout the state meeting with voters.
“You can’t campaign without shaking hands,” he said. “You have to have that person-to-person contact, but there are some people that have preferred an elbow bump and things along those lines, so I have been doing a few of those,” he noted. “I am always open for a handshake, but it’s important though for each person to take care of their own personal hygiene at the same time. They need to be responsible and aware of what is happening. There should be a deeper conversation that needs to be had on the coronavirus on the national level.”
It should be noted that Navarro is a former re-entry manager with Hope for Prisoners, a faith-based organization that works to ensure the recently incarcerated, strengthen the skills necessary for employment, leadership readiness, and success during their re-integration process.
During his time there, he oversaw the day-to-day operations within the Clark County Detention Center, coordinating and managing the curriculum, vocational training, and case management.
Prior to joining Hope for Prisoners, Navarro served as the Military and Veterans Affairs Representative to former U.S. Congressman Cresent Hardy before being promoted to deputy district director where he oversaw external relationships with community leaders and organizations, helping to drive community collaborations and policy initiatives.
Prior to joining Congressman Hardy’s office, Navarro served under former U.S. Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon as his veterans and military affairs director, and U.N. Refugee Agency liaison.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes