First things first – make sure to join Governor Richardson on a special conference call with Nevada supporters TONIGHT, Wednesday, December 13, at 7:15pm. Call HQ at (702) 385 – 2455 for your special passcode.
If you’ve been reading the paper or watching the news, you already know that the Richardson campaign in Nevada had a pretty incredible weekend. Governor Richardson was in Las Vegas on Saturday and Monday. Not only was he the first candidate to visit Sun City Anthem, not only did he rally with hundreds of Democrats at Rancho High School, not only did he earn two MAJOR endorsement, but he was joined for it all by First Lady Barbara Richardson.
Jorge and Steve have already posted about Saturday’s events, so I want to take this opportunity to celebrate two new additions to our campaign: State Senator Maggie Carlton and Assemblyman Mo Denis. These two influential legislators have announced their support for Governor Richardson and will be key to our efforts to win on January 19. Check out the press releases at the right for more information on our new teammates, and take a look at what they had to say:
“I asked Bill Richardson about his plans to improve education and to support America's families. He showed me the depth of both his experience and his commitment to helping them succeed. He has my wholehearted support." Nevada State Assemblyman Mo Denis, District 28
"Democrats are blessed with a lot of great candidates, but I believe that Bill Richardson has the best experience and the proven record to deliver for my constituents and for working people across the country. In addition, he is the most electable candidate in our party. He will bring Nevada and the West into the Democratic camp and ensure that the Republican disaster of the last 7 years comes to an end." Nevada State Senator Maggie Carlton, District 2
To sum up: our momentum is building, our organization is growing, and with your help, we’re set to make history in Nevada. Join us on the call tonight to find out how.
My wife Felice and I live in Sun City Anthem, in Henderson, NV. We have been supporting Gov. Richardson since early this year, when we became aware of his amazing track record in both domestic and international affairs. We are lifelong democrats, and believe the Gov. is the most experienced democrat in the field, by far.
We had volunteered our home for a "routine" Saturday house party to support the campaign, expecting a campaign aide to show a video clip of Governor Richardson and explain the caucus process to 20-30 of our neighbors. Three days before the December 8th event, however, the Governor announced that he and his wife Barbara would be in Las Vegas, and would attend IN PERSON. We were, of course, thrilled and delighted, albeit somewhat concerned as to whether our house would hold the crowd. As it turned out, more than 100 showed up, on very short notice, to meet and hear him. It was wall to wall people, but everyone squeezed in, including my 91 year old dad, who has been voting for democrats since FDR's days.
As always, Gov. Richardson was concise, straightforward, and on point. He also displayed his disarming sense of humor. And, as is his practice, the Governor did not leave after his remarks until he had shaken hands and personally greeted everyone in the house.
Felice and I want to thank Holly Welborn, Ken Rosenberg, and the rest of the Richardson team here in Las Vegas for their assistance in putting the gathering together and affording us the opportunity to meet Governor Richardson and his wife Barbara, and make our modest contribution to his campaign.
My husband Tim and I are proud to co-Chair the Richardson for President campaign’s Small Towns and Rural Communities Advisory Board in Nevada with Bob Johnston of Fallon and Marco Ruela of Mesquite. We, along with many others in rural Nevada, know that Governor Richardson is the only candidate who has personally worked in areas like Pahrump and the only one with the experience to help our communities thrive.
As a westerner, Bill has already dealt with problems facing small towns like Pahrump. He has been a champion on issues such as water, land use, health care and energy for the last five years as Governor and for 14 years as a U.S. Congressman representing New Mexico.
While we care about rural issues, towns like ours can only succeed if America succeeds. We believe that Bill Richardson has the most innovative, aggressive and realistic plans to get our troops out of Iraq, to deal with immigration, and to address out nation’s health care crisis. More than that, he has the experience to put his plans into action.
He will bring our troops home in a year. No other candidate has made that commitment and no other candidate has put forth a realistic plan that incorporates diplomacy and an understanding of the region.
As the Governor of a border state, he has already worked to secure the border and formulated an immigration plan that works. He was the first Governor to declare a State of Emergency on the border, which helped get vital resources to the state and local law enforcement officials that are forced to do the federal government’s job.
Richardson’s universal health care plan is by far the most comprehensive. He will provide coverage to working families and small businesses and offer the same health care plan available to Congressional members.
His plan to introduce a Hero’s Health Card should be his rally cry. In places like Pahrump, the closest VA hospital is over 70 miles away. The Hero’s Health Card will allow all veterans to choose any physician wherever they live.
We know that Governor Richardson will honor his commitments as president because he has kept his promises throughout his career. Rural Nevada needs answers, and Bill Richardson has them. More than that, he’s shown that he’ll follow through and get things done.
We’re proud to support Bill and will work hard to let our neighbors in Pahrump know what a great candidate we have.
Sincerely,
Susan Terrell
Our Reno staff passed along this report on some great events in Northern Nevada:
As Gov. Richardson took the stage in Las Vegas during the debate, Northern Nevada threw him three great birthday parties.
In Reno, Drs. Lynn and Paul Brosy opened their home to a group of about 15 democrats. “ We live in a very republican neighborhood, so this chance to connect with other Democrats was great,” Lynn said. Down in Carson City, Janet and Merle Riggs led their crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” complete with cake and ice cream. Douglas County Democrats enjoyed food and conversation at Marie Louise Lekumberry’s home.
Both Richardson supporters and undecided voters watched the debate and discussed the different strengths of the candidates. Everyone agreed that Richardson gave a tremendously strong performance and appreciated his concern for renewable energy and his plan for an immediatewithdrawal from Iraq. “It’s time to get the troops home,” Brosy said.
Carson City’s attendees were impressed with Richardson’s experience in foreign policy and diplomacy. “We need a president who prioritizes peace. Gov. Richardson has now been nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize. That’s impressive,” Carson City resident Rex Harold said.
In Douglas County, hosts Marie Louise and Evan Beavers were excited with the turnout and energy of the crowd. Marie was even successful in recruiting a couple of canvassers. “Volunteering on the campaign is easy and a lot of fun as well,”Marie told party guests.
Though a tad jealous that Las Vegas received all the notice, house party guests were excited for the national attention on Nevada. The three parties were a fun and informative chance to support the best candidate and only Westerner in the race, Bill Richardson.
Of the many days that Governor Richardson has spent campaigning in Nevada, yesterday may have been the my favorite. The Richardson campaign held a tremendous number of events thoughout the day, and we'll be posting reports and photos of those events in the next couple of days. Governor Richardson delivered an incredible debate performance, In the meantime, here are the vital statistics:
19: November 15 was the Governor's 19th day campaigning in Nevada, more than any other candidate.
1: New Mexico 1st Lady Barbara Richardson joined Chair Eva Garcia Mendoza at a luncheon for Nevada Women for Richardson and spoke about the Governor's amazing history of rescuing American hostages from some of the world's most dangerous countries, including Iraq, Sudan, and North Korea.
5: Yesterday, Governor Richardson earned his 5th nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in honor of his lifelong commitment to peace through diplomacy.
60: He doesn't like to talk about it, but yesterday was Governor Richardson's 60th birthday, celebrated with the Democrats of Las Vegas.
2000: Governor Richardson spoke to more than 2000 Democrats at the Clark County Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, and demonstrated his unique experience with water, traffic, land-use and the other Western issues that affect Nevada.
12: The Richardson for President campaign hosted 12 debate watch parties held across Nevada. Hundreds of supporters came together from Boulder City to Douglas County to watch the only Western candidate take part in the first major Western debate.
2013: Richardson supporters held "2013" signes in front of the debate, asking the other candidates why they plan to leave combat troops in Iraq for five more years, and why it will take them longer to end the war in Iraq than it took President Roosevelt to win World War II.
1: Ultimately, the day belonged to Governor Richardson: The 1 candidate with a plan to get our troops out within 1 year, the 1 candidate with the knowledge and courage to take real stands on every issue put forward in the debate, the 1 candidate who cared more about the issues than about tearing down other Democrats, and the 1 candidate who proved last night that he has the experience to lead this country in the right direction.
We'll have more details on the debate, on the Jefferson-Jackson dinner and on the First Lady's visit in future posts. In the meantime, I hope you're as proud as we are to support Governor Richardson. November 15 was a great day for our campaign, a great day for Democrats, and a great day for Nevada.
A post From Lance Whitney, Northeastern Nevada Regional Field Director:
It’s official. The Northeaster Nevada headquarters for Bill Richardson for President is open for business.
We kicked off the opening last Saturday to a crowd of over 50 people from the area. Caucus goers from all over Elko County came to enjoy food and fun…but most importantly, they came to learn more about Governor Richardson and our campaign.
I started the conversation by introducing myself and our staff. I talked about what it meant to be a rural Nevadan and how important rural Nevada is to the Governor. I spoke about growing up here in Elko, and what an honor it was to have been selected to head the campaign here. Being the only Regional Field Director from any campaign in the area who’s a native of Elko really says something about how important we are to this campaign.
I turned the conversation over to Be-Be Adams, the campaign’s County Chair and executive of Barrick Goldstrike, the world’s largest gold producer. Be-Be explained that the reason she joined us is because Governor Richardson understands mining. Mining happens to be the lifeblood of the Northeastern Nevada economy, and Governor Richardson is the only candidate who has hands-on experience working with mining communities. She continued by saying that our staff if the best staff she’s had the privilege of working with, and she very much looks forward to working with us in the coming months.
Our State Director, Roberta Lange, wrapped up the conversation by talking about our statewide presence in Nevada. She spoke about how each individual on our team was hand-picked because of his or her unique skills and talents, and how the Governor put such a high priority on hiring people from Nevada. She talked about how important Nevada is to the campaign and to the Governor, and how great it will be to elect a western Democrat to the Presidency.
At the end, we took questions from the crowd and talked about the issues, and when all was said and done, we had a new group of supporters and volunteers. Voters had come to hear about the Governor and ended up leaving with the knowledge that he really is the best candidate in the race.
So, it is official. We are open for business and ready to win it for Bill Richardson in Northeastern Nevada!
Yesterday was a red-letter day for the Richardson campaign here in Nevada. Governor Richardson met with hundreds of people from across the state and proved to them that he's got the right stuff to lead this country and the skill to win this race. The highlights of the day were four important endorsements: Las Vegas Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Reese, the Plasterers' and Cement Masons' Local 797, Carson City Democratic Party Chair Steve Platt, and National Stonewall Democrats Board Member Bill Jacobs have joined our team!
Read more about these endorsements in the official press release after the link.
Read More »From Regional Field Director Kristin Johnson:
On October 13, New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson was the first Democratic candidate to meet with Red Rock Democratic Club members and Summerlin residents. Governor Richardson met us before Red Rock members and Richardson For President campaign staff went knocking on doors to talk to neighbors about Governor Richardson, the upcoming caucus and ways to get involved.
This was Governor Richardson’s first event of the day. He was full of energy and charisma when he greeted the crowd of over 100 people. He proceeded to shake hands all the way to the podium, jump up on stage, thank everyone for their help, and pump up the crowd. Governor Richardson spoke about his commitment to issues important to Nevada, such as water rights, traffic and land use. To much applause, he spoke about his plans for national health care and getting our troops out of Iraq immediately.
The Richardson For President campaign prepared materials for attendees to walk door to door to speak with voters about Governor Richardson and the upcoming January caucus. Steve Fernlund, President of the Red Rock Democratic Club, introduced Governor Richardson. Steve lauded Governor Richardson’s many accomplishments as one of our country’s most experienced statesman, focusing on his leadership in New Mexico.
We met in the parking lot of the Three Angry Wives Pub in Boca Park. The restaurant staff was so excited to host Governor Richardson that they set up tables and coffee for our volunteers in the parking lot. After the event, one of the bartenders even lent us his personal truck so we could bring our stage back to our office! Committed volunteers and generous people make campaigning in Nevada such a pleasure.
We want to thank all of the volunteers, both from our campaign and from Red Rock. Not only was the event with the Governor a great kick-off, our joint canvass was a real success.
Just a quick note to let you know that Governor Richardson's event last night in Boulder City succeeded beyond all expectations. The response to this first 2008 Presidential candidate visit to Boulder City overwhelmed us. People were lined up out the door to get into the packed room!
Governor Richardson gave detailed answers to tough questions and interacted with the crowd in the way that only he can. After the event, one of our guests walked up to Caucus Director Ed Espinoza and, unsolicited, handed him a $2,300 donation because she and her husband were so impressed with the Governor's depth of knowledge and experience.
I could talk about the event all day, but I'll let Molly Ball from the Las Vegas Review-Journal tell you about it.
Click the link below for her account of the Governor's trip to Boulder City:
http://www.lvrj.com/news/10200216.html
This post comes from Sarah Ridge, a Richardson for President organizer in Las Vegas:
I first came to support Governor Richardson because he is the only candidate to demand all of our American troops out of Iraq. That is the number one issue for me, because my big brother is in the Army Reserves and recently got called to Iraq. He will be deployed any day now. I pray every day that he will be safe, and I'm doing what I can to make it happen. No other candidate is calling for a complete withdrawal. No one else promises to bring my brother home to Nevada. Bill Richardson does. That is why he has my vote.
Read More »My name is Bob Rodriguez, and I have volunteered with the Governor’s campaign for some five months. The Governor’s campaign is not one that addresses the masses but talks to the people at the grass roots level on a one-to-one basis. The other volunteers and I are an important part of that outreach effort and we’re making a difference, while the staff has impressed me by their professionalism and contacts.
The enthusiasm, professionalism and motivation of all involved was recently brought into clearer focus during the visit of the Roadrunners, numerous volunteers who came from New Mexico to Nevada to engage in campaign activities for the Governor.
Read More »On behalf of the Richardson for President Nevada staff and our local volunteers, I want to thank Richardson’s Roadrunners, the dozens of volunteers from New Mexico who made the long trek from Albuquerque to Las Vegas. You made a real difference, giving thousands of Nevadans your first-hand accounts of Governor Richardson’s abilities and priorities. Aside from the Governor himself, there are no better ambassadors for our campaign than those of us who have directly benefited from his leadership in New Mexico. Read More »
Today, I want to introduce one of our new Team Richardson members from Nevada. Lindsay started on Saturday, and wrote this great piece about her first day. She's done a great job so far, and we're lucky to have her with us. Read below to see what the campaign looks like through the eyes of our newest teammate:
Hi, I'm Lindsay Beirne, a brand new organizer for Governor Bill Richardson's campaign in Nevada. I grew up here in Southern Nevada and expect to graduate from UNLV in December. Even with a semester left to finish, I couldn't pass up a chance to work with a great campaign and to help elect Governor Richardson, the best candidate for president.
Read More »I'm Josh McNeil, Governor Richardson's Nevada Communications Director, and your host on this brand new Nevada for Richardson web page. This page will serve as your guide to Governor Richardson's campaign in Nevada and your first stop for information on getting involved in the campaign. Check back often for new photos, upcoming events, news stories and campaign updates.
Governor Richardson was the first presidential candidate to hire a campaign team here in Nevada, and from day one, we've been getting a great response from Reno to Elko, Searchlight to the Strip. People across the state are pledging their support for the Governor and our staff, supporters and volunteers are working hard to show Nevadans that it is in the best interests of Nevada and the country as a whole to bring Governor Richardson's experience and skill to the White House.
But as hard as we're working, there is no better advocate for the Governor than the man himself. Earlier this month, Governor Richardson spent three amazing days in Nevada. He met supporters in Carson City and Vegas, labor leaders, and elected officials. He spoke to students at Carson High School about Darfur and received the endorsement of Hispanics in Politics, Nevada's original hispanic political organization. Check out the press room to see the newspaper coverage of his trip and read the glowing recommendations from some of Nevada's most respected columnists.
Right now, we're finalizing our field strategy, preparing our media plan, training volunteers and getting ready for the Governor's upcoming trips to Nevada in early June.
We've got a great team of staff and volunteers, and you'll meet each of them here in the future. Today, I want to introduce you to two people who are making a real difference in Nevada, Juan and Marcia Valdez.
Before I turn this over to Marcia and Juan, I want to thank you for checking in with us and hope that you'll bookmark this page and come back soon.
Juan and Marcia are two of our volunteer superstars. They spend countless hours volunteering in our Las Vegas office and we simply couldn't do this without them. When it comes to working the phones to spread the word about the Governor, their belief in Governor Richardson, their experience, and their easy humor helps them connect with people in a truly amazing way. They are invaluable to the campaign, and it's my pleasure to let them speak for themselves:
I, Marcia Valdez, grew up in Kansas, home of many notable politicians--Alf Landon, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bob Dole…Republicans all. However, my first vote was for Lyndon Johnson. Since that time, I have been a Democrat. My concerns as a mother of four, a grandmother of ten, and as a retired high school teacher have been best addressed by the leaders in the Democratic Party.
The issues that I care about most today are health care, the environment, and the role of the United States in the world. I believe that Bill Richardson has the best experience and most comprehensive plans to answer my concerns.
I, Juan Valdez, spent my childhood in New Mexico. My parents were both registered Republicans, so in turn, I registered as one. I must be truthful and say that early on I was never politically interested. As I matured and closely considered those issues and concerns that most affected my life and ideals, I came to the conclusion that the Democratic Party best represented me. I have now been a Democrat for most of my adult life.
Like most Americans today, I consider the important issues to be health care, education, the environment, the economy, the war in Iraq, and the status of the United States in the world. The Democratic Party and Governor Richardson have the solutions I believe our country needs.
Of the candidates seeking the Democratic Party nomination for President, I believe Bill Richardson has the best approach and plan to address all of those important issues. As a native New Mexican and a Hispanic, I have volunteered to work in his Nevada campaign and to support his run for the Presidency.
Together, we are committed to our support for Bill Richardson. Besides volunteering at the Las Vegas campaign headquarters, we have been spreading the word to our families, friends, and neighbors about his experience, his diplomacy, his dedication to public service, and his realistic approach to solving our concerns. We hope that those of you who read this will join us as volunteers at headquarters and help Governor Richardson change the direction of our country.
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