Aaron Ford gets seven-figure boost from outside group in Nevada governor's race

In today's edition: For what is likely the first time ever, the national AFL-CIO is playing in the deeply red 2nd Congressional District. We explain why. Plus: An exclusive look at a $1.2 million ad buy from Planned Parenthood that's going up in the Nevada governor's race.

We had so much material that we have a special *extra* edition of Indy Elections this week. I'd like to formally note that I'm not promising anything to the political sickos or my editors (Editor's Note: what's the difference?) who think it'd be a "fun" thing to make twice-a-week editions permanent.

Also, if you haven't seen it, check out our Reno mayoral debate. My colleague, Eric Neugeboren, and The Boss did an excellent job. Wouldn't it be nice to see a gubernatorial debate too?

This newsletter is published every week. We want to hear from you! Email your temporary newsletter editor, Tabitha Mueller at [email protected]. 

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Valor, stolen?

For what's likely the first time ever and a sign of Democratic hopium (?) ahead of the midterms, the national AFL-CIO is planning to target Nevada's 2nd Congressional District with a six-figure digital ad buy — a ruby red Northern Nevada district that's never been represented by a Democrat.

Steve Smith, spokesperson for AFL-CIO, said that if you had asked him a year ago whether the union would have been doing an ad in the district, he would have indicated probably not. 

Reporting showing that GOP candidate David Flippo had exaggerated his Bronze Star award changed that.

"We're hearing from union veterans in the district that they were really upset about this, and we thought that this was an issue that I think everybody really should know about, and they shouldn't be just hearing this in a political ad from a campaign," Smith said. "They should be hearing from actual veterans: how they feel about this, and so that was, again, the impetus for what we're doing."

I was invited to watch the ad campaign filming on Wednesday and talk with union-affiliated veterans who will be quoted in the ad.

As my colleague, Mini Racker, pointed out in Tuesday's newsletter, the 2nd Congressional District race is now the costliest in the district's recorded history in terms of outside spending — almost all supporting Flippo. 

The AFL-CIO spending, and separate spending from a clean energy Super PAC, mark the first significant outside money coming in to help former Assm. Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno). 

You can read more about the ad campaign and what veterans are saying within it in my story here.

— Tabitha Mueller

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Indy Ad Watch: Planned Parenthood's new $$$

The Planned Parenthood Votes super PAC is investing $1.2 million in the Nevada governor's race, with mail, digital and field operations slamming Gov. Joe Lombardo's (R) "anti-abortion agenda," the group told The Nevada Independent first. 

The group's new digital ad, which Nevadans started seeing this week, cites The Nevada Independent's reporting to argue that he "backs abortion restrictions and anti-abortion groups" and "vetoed a bill protecting access to birth control." It praises Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) for defending abortion access and suing President Donald Trump's administration over a push to defund Planned Parenthood. 

"Two-thirds of Nevadans voted to protect abortion access in 2024, but that doesn't matter to Joe Lombardo — he'll put Donald Trump and the anti-abortion groups that back him ahead of Nevadans every chance he gets," wrote Lauren Babb, chief public affairs officer for Planned Parenthood Votes in Nevada. 

The buy comes as Question 6, which would guarantee the right to abortion before fetal viability in the state Constitution, is on the ballot again. It passed with nearly two-thirds of the vote in 2024, but must be approved again in 2026 to go into effect. Apart from the Democratic Governor's Association-backed PAC, this is the biggest outside spending yet on Ford's behalf.

The money will help expand canvassing operations in partnership with Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the organization's nonprofit advocacy arm. As part of the effort, organizers say they have already knocked 45,000 doors in Nevada and contacted 8,000 voters. Engagement rates are up since 2024, according to the organization. 

It's one piece of Planned Parenthood's $47 million nationwide "We Decide" campaign on behalf of politicians who support abortion rights. 

— Mini Racker

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Mini Series: Who's debating?

📺Debate me (please) bro — The odds of a gubernatorial debate look slim, but the chances of congressional debates are similarly low. 

• CD 1: KLAS 8 News NOW executive producer Ian Russell told The Indy the station proposed debates in all three Las Vegas-area districts, but passed its scheduling deadline without getting both candidates to agree. Spokespeople for Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and state Sen. Carrie Buck (R-Henderson) did not respond to questions about if they wanted to debate. 
• CD 2: Former Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson's (D) campaign said she and small-business owner David Flippo (R) have agreed to a debate jointly hosted by Eagle Valley Publishing, the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce. Flippo's campaign said that was not correct, but did not respond to a question about the status of the event. On Thursday, Eagle Valley Publishing owner Adam Trumble wrote in an email, "Both candidates have agreed to be at the Douglas County Senior Center on Thursday night, Oct. 8. I fully expect someone to back out but as of this morning they are both confirmed." He and the Tahoe Chamber shared a flyer advertising the debate that featured both candidates.
• CD 3: Video game composer Marty O'Donnell (R) wrote on X that he accepted an October debate invitation with 8 News Now months ago, but Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) had not. On Tuesday, he confirmed it had been canceled, writing, "Susie should stop hiding from her record and come defend it on camera for the state and the nation to see." In a statement to The Indy, Lee wrote, "Marty chooses to cozy up to neo-Nazis and far-right extremists, attack southern Nevadans, personally degrade me as a 'lunatic' and spread blatant lies about my work fighting to lower costs for southern Nevadans. I choose not to legitimize such extremism, hatred and dishonesty by standing beside him on a debate stage."
• CD 4: The candidates don't have a debate planned. Small-business owner Cody Whipple's (R) campaign sent out a press release this week stating he immediately agreed to participate in Channel 8's proposed debate and that Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) declined. According to Horsford's campaign, the congressman did not decline.

❌🤖Saying No to AI — The Nevada Secretary of State's Office, somehow, only received four complaints as of a week ago about candidates or political parties failing to disclose the use of AI in election materials this year. The number is shockingly low, considering that a law went into effect this year requiring such disclosure and the recent AI boom. The SOS' office did not reply to a follow-up question asking who the four complaints pertained to. 

• For a recent notable example, take a look at this ad from the Gov. Joe Lombardo-aligned group, Better Nevada PAC, targeting Attorney General Aaron Ford's (D) out of state travel. 
• A Republican elections lawyer who spoke to The Indy said the new law likely does not apply to federal races, given it was written into a section of the Nevada Revised Statutes covering state offices. Still, congressional ads have drawn criticism for AI use, including one from Titus that depicts Buck writing phrases such as "Iran War" on a whiteboard. ("Artificial intelligence can manufacture [Titus'] smears, but it can't manufacture integrity for a shameless political fraud who has spent years picking Nevadans' pockets," wrote Buck spokesperson Sam Oh.) Meanwhile, at least two of the formal complaints, which were shared with The Indy, target ads in NV-03, one from a conservative advocacy group attacking Lee and one from the O'Donnell campaign, which features an animated Lego Lee laughing with a Lego billionaire. The complaints could prompt clarifications about the law.
  • There's also a question about whether it applies to ads that are obviously AI, or only plausible deep fakes. O'Donnell campaign spokesperson Jeremy Hughes: "If whoever filed the complaint with the Nevada Secretary of State believes that Lego Susie Lee—let me quote from the law—'creates a realistic but false image,' they have Legos for brains."

♥️Buttigieg knows #WeMatter — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) published a Substack and video on Wednesday featuring his trip to Northern Nevada and Democrats running for office in the Silver State.

• "I'm proud to be in their corner — and I hope you'll join me in supporting them," the possible 2028 presidential contender wrote.

— Mini Racker, Isabella Aldrete and Tabitha Mueller

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