LAS VEGAS — Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak said he does not know if he will endorse a presidential candidate in the primary but hinted he preferred a nominee to be someone who could move back into the center during the general election.
“I went through, for those who are familiar with a primary that was similar to this, and I think it helped me in the general. It was tough to go through, because you are pulled in many different directions, and you’ve got to come back to the center,” Sisolak told reporters at a presidential forum hosted by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. “I think the majority of people are moderate in the center and want to hear about real policies.”
He added, “These labels that are tacked on, whether conservative or progressive or liberal or socialists or those sort of things, they aren’t the ones that are resonating with the everyday men and women.”
Sisolak, who was first elected in 2018 with 49.4% of the vote against Republican Adam Laxalt who garnered 45.3%, became the state’s first Democratic governor elected since 1994.
Nevada, whose primary caucus is the first western state contest, is visited by candidates to pick up endorsements on a routine basis.
Sisolak played down his endorsement power telling reporters. “Like I said, my endorsement may not as important as the men and women that are working in the state of Nevada. I get one vote they get one vote. They mean just the same,” he said.
“A lot of friends have asked me. There’s pluses and minuses with a lot of candidates. But I think we need this robust debate in order to whittle the field down and get to the right person coming into the general,” he added.
