Two governors from early-voting states are taking opposing approaches to the 2020 presidential primary elections.
Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu may be from different parties, but that’s not the only point on which they diverge. While Sisolak’s strategy is to keep his distance, Sununu has a more hands-on attitude to the nominating process.
Several members of the ever-growing Democratic primary field have already begun courting Sisolak, according to the newly sworn-in chief executive.
“The most important thing for me is that they get out in the state and into our communities,” Sisolak told the Washington Examiner on Sunday at the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, D.C.
“They shouldn’t come to meet me,” he said. “They should come to meet our citizens, you know, the ones that are working back-of-the-house stuff, working at construction sites, that sort of thing, to get a sense of what’s really important to constituents in Nevada.”
Sisolak is impressed by many of the presidential hopefuls, which so far include the likes of Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro, all of whom have already visited Nevada. Sen. Kamala Harris of California will make her first trip to the state as an official 2020 contender this weekend.
Sisolak, however, said he would reserve judgment on the field until after Nevada’s caucuses, expected to be held a year from now on Feb. 22, 2020. Although the former businessman, who last month became the first Democrat to serve in his state’s governor mansion since 1999, vowed to remain neutral regarding the race, he said he would base his decision on at least one policy issue: plutonium shipments to Yucca Mountain. His comments come after the Trump administration in January revealed in court documents it had secretly moved radioactive plutonium from South Carolina to the Nevada nuclear security site without the state’s approval.
“Without that, there’s no way I could support a candidate, but I want the candidates to come and meet the community. More than just the good TV ad, I want them to actually press some flesh, person-to-person, one-on-one, going to meetings, speaking with individuals and groups, and getting a sense of where they stand,” he said.
Sununu adopts another approach as former GOP Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld announced this month he had launched a presidential exploratory committee ahead of challenging President Trump next year. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich also continue to stoke speculation as to their 2020 intentions.
“I take great responsibility in trying to be open to everyone who wants to run,” Sununu told the Washington Examiner. “I try to invite everyone to come into the governor’s office, and if — for lack of a better term — almost be the referee to make sure they understand how the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary is done. So whether it’s Kanye West, who I was asked about yesterday, or Larry Hogan, or Bernie Sanders, everyone’s welcome to come into the corner office and I’ll explain to them the rules that we play by and the litmus tests we go by.”
But Sununu, a former businessman and engineer whose father served as New Hampshire governor and whose brother represented the state in both chambers of Congress, affirmed his support of the president.
“I’ll say that I firmly believe Donald Trump is going to not just win, would win a primary in New Hampshire, I think he has a very good shot at winning the state’s four electoral votes come the general election,” he said. “I’ll be supporting him all the way through.”
Sununu’s thoughts on the Democrats?
“My comment? Everyone loves watching the circus,” he said.
