U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rallied hundreds of Nevadans at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 24, turning her remarks into a pitch for Rep. Steven Horsford's reelection just over a week before Election Day. The New York Democrat framed Horsford as the kind of working-class politician voters should want representing them in Washington, part of a late-campaign push unfolding across the battleground state.
Horsford, who represents Nevada's 4th Congressional District, is seeking another term against Republican challenger Cody Whipple in a race that has drawn national surrogates to the Las Vegas valley in the campaign's final stretch, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The district spans North Las Vegas and rural Nevada, and Democratic voters there outnumber Republicans by about 30,000, according to The Nevada Independent, which also notes no Republican has held the seat in a decade.
Ocasio-Cortez counted Horsford among the working-class politicians she urged voters to elect, saying that putting such candidates in office changes how Congress legislates, per the Sun's reporting. Horsford, for his part, said he was honored to share the stage with her and told the crowd that voters should not be taken for granted — adding that people should cast ballots on behalf of those who cannot vote themselves. One attendee, Kobe Hopkins, said in Las Vegas that he would support Ocasio-Cortez if she runs in 2028, the Sun reported.
A Housing Bill Takes Center Stage
Horsford has leaned on his record on housing as a core argument for reelection, pointing to his support for the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which the House passed as a bipartisan effort aimed at making homes more affordable. According to KTVU's Las Vegas affiliate KTNV, the legislation streamlines regulations, provides grants for new home construction, helps veterans secure home funding and bans corporations from buying single-family homes. The bill also targets the housing shortage by speeding up federal environmental reviews and permitting requirements that can delay projects, and it expands and modernizes several HUD and FHA programs that help communities finance affordable housing, per the Sun.
This bill benefits every corner of Nevada, every corner of the Fourth Congressional District, from rural to urban to suburban communities, for working families, for veterans, for first-time homebuyers, for students who are trying to afford their rent, Horsford said, according to KTNV.
Where Horsford and Whipple Differ
Beyond housing, Horsford has staked out positions on health care, tariffs and Social Security that distinguish him from Whipple heading into Nov. 3. He opposes 80-hour monthly Medicaid work requirements, arguing, as he put it to The Nevada Independent, that “these 80-hour rules do not create jobs” and can strip coverage from people who are working, looking for jobs or too sick to complete the paperwork. He also supports reinstating Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, the outlet reports.
On tariffs, Horsford has said they have driven up prices and introduced the RELIEF Act, which would refund tariff costs to small businesses within 90 days, per the same Nevada Independent report. He has also voiced support for protecting Social Security.
The Nevada Independent called Whipple a small-town rancher.
A Crowded Final Week of Campaigning
The rally was one of several high-profile events that have crowded the Las Vegas political calendar since early voting opened Saturday, Oct. 17, according to 8 News Now. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a rally at UNLV backing Democrats including Horsford, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford, Rep. Susie Lee and Rep. Dina Titus, the station reported. Republicans countered with their own surrogates: House Speaker Mike Johnson campaigned in Las Vegas for congressional candidates Marty O'Donnell and Carrie Buck, while Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo at a Get Out the Vote rally.Stacey Abrams and Rep. Ro Khanna also took part in a Latino voter unity event at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas earlier in the week, per 8 News Now's reporting. Nevada's governor race pits Lombardo, the Republican incumbent, against Ford, the Democratic attorney general, as the state's other marquee contest this cycle.
Bernie Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez were scheduled for a March 2025 “Fighting Oligarchy” tour event at Craig Ranch Amphitheater on a Thursday, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Ocasio-Cortez's allies view her travels this cycle, including a multi-day tour of New York State, as evidence she is building a political operation beyond her own congressional district, according to CNN, which reported that effort has targeted inactive Democratic voters statewide, including nearly 5,000 in Erie County.
Early Voting Is Underway
Early voting was underway statewide.
Ocasio-Cortez and Horsford both urged attendees at the rally to sign up to knock on doors, make phone calls and vote before polls close on Nov. 3. With Democratic and Republican turnout running close in early returns, both parties appear to be treating the final days before Election Day as a turnout fight rather than a foregone conclusion.
