Letters to the Editor

Nevada chose results over rhetoric—and it’s working

For decades, Nevadans were told that Democrat rule was simply the way things needed to be. That accepting poor healthcare and education was just how the state operated, and real improvement wasn’t possible. But when Democrats put Nevadans through draconian COVID lockdowns and fueled an inflation crisis with reckless spending, the state’s economy was hit hard, making an already difficult situation even worse for workers, families, and business owners. It was a wake-up call that Nevada needed a different approach - one built on a stronger, more diverse economy that could withstand the next crisis. One that President Trump and Governor Joe Lombardo have delivered.

Last week, President Trump was in Las Vegas to talk about all the ways he’s delivered for working families and seniors. Thanks to his leadership, Nevada is leading the nation in job growth, and wages are rising faster than in almost any other state. Governor Lombardo followed suit by cutting taxes, expanding the economy beyond the hospitality and tourism industry, eliminating needless regulations, and telling job creators that Nevada is open for business.

President Trump’s no tax on tips has allowed Nevada’s more than 366,000 tourism and hospitality workers to keep more money for groceries, rent, and gas – not sent to Washington to line the pockets of bureaucrats and politicians.

Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts created a bonus $6,000 deduction that wipes out tax on Social Security. Workers who put in extra hours can deduct up to $12,500 in overtime pay, and every child born to a Nevada family now gets a head start through a Trump Account with $1,000 tax free from the federal government. Even if families don’t contribute a penny, these accounts are anticipated to grow to tens of thousands of dollars by the time a child reaches 18 years old.

Governor Lombardo has lowered housing costs by unlocking nearly $1 billion in attainable housing units, cut red tape to speed up construction, and approved $183 million to create new housing for working Americans like teachers, nurses, and first responders who keep communities running. Now rents in Southern Nevada are falling, and Nevada is building real homes for real people.

While other states saw utility bills soaring, Nevada kept its electricity costs well below the national average and at a fraction of what its neighbors pay. Republicans pursued an all-of-the-above approach, including solar, geothermal, natural gas, and storage that keeps the lights on and the bills down. And when California’s anti-energy policies threatened your gas prices, Governor Lombardo didn’t sit on his hands; he formed a bipartisan coalition to address how Newsom’s policies would impact fuel prices.

Just like President Trump, Governor Lombardo refocused Nevada on keeping communities safe. As President Trump was ending the flood of violent drug traffickers across the southern border, Lombardo delivered the strongest public-safety reforms Nevada has seen in a generation. He cracked down on repeat offenders and fentanyl dealers. Now, crime rates are falling faster than almost any other part of the country.

Nevadans should also be proud that Governor Lombardo held the line by vetoing a record number of expensive and wasteful pieces of legislation to protect taxpayers’ bottom line.

Empty-suit politicians like Aaron Ford and Susie Lee are exactly the type of Democrats who led Nevada into near disaster and will do so again if they gain power. Ford spent 420 days out of state and used your tax dollars to fund lavish trips to Cancun, Singapore, and Qatar. He wrote the soft-on-crime policies that gave drug dealers a pass and allowed monsters to continue pumping poison into your communities.

Lee led Nevada’s congressional delegation in voting against no tax on tips and embarrasses Nevadans on a daily basis by threatening to “beat the s**t” out of cabinet officials. Both are going to spend the next few months promising the world to get votes, often on policies they’ve spent years opposing. Marty O’Donnell, Lee’s Republican challenger, is endorsed by President Trump and will support his America First policies that create jobs and protect livelihoods.

None of this happened by accident, and it won’t continue without strong Republican leadership at the state and federal level. The other side is already lining up to bring back the same failed policies that ruined Nevada with billions in new spending, soft-on-crime policies, and a focus on insiders, not working families.

But Nevadans have seen the difference between promises and results, and Republicans are going to keep delivering them.

Joe Gruters

Chairman, Republican National Committee