Unions and labor groups donated more than $1.6 million to Nevada legislators during the 2024 election cycle, good for third most among any single industry group, with most of the money going to Democrats.

The aggregate fundraising total represents an increase from the amount of money given to state legislators during the 2022 election cycle, when unions and labor groups donated more than any other industry.

Similar to prior election cycles, the industry overwhelmingly donated to Democrats, making up more than 90 percent of all its contributions. The median amount Democratic legislators received ($25,800) was about four times as much from the industry than the median amount Republican legislators received ($6,500).

The activity reflects the continued prominence of organized labor in Nevada politics, where the endorsements and donations of the most influential unions can go far in shaping the makeup of the Legislature. In 2024, about 12 percent of Nevada workers were union members, which was 16th among all states, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The record-breaking donations, which cover contributions made in 2023 and 2024, followed a largely successful legislative session for unions in 2023. Lawmakers approved historic pay increases for state employees — a priority for the state workers’ union — and backed a constitutional amendment to repeal the state’s ban on lotteries, which labor supported.

The ongoing legislative session is also rife with priority issues for organized labor. Lawmakers are considering proposals to significantly expand the state’s film tax credit program, one of which received initial support from a host of Las Vegas unions.

Because unions represent different classes of workers, they can have different priorities in a given legislative session — but their interests are often aligned, such as supporting a proposal heard last week to significantly expand paid family leave policies.

This analysis is part of The Nevada Independent’s “Follow the Money” series, which explores the industries that gave the most money to state legislators during the 2024 election and their goals for the 2025 session. The series results from a manual categorization of about 11,000 contributions from donors who gave more than $200 throughout the cycle.

While categorizing donations from unions and labor groups, The Indy combined donations made from the same parent organization but through a different branch or affiliated PAC. Nevada law prohibits donating more than $10,000 to a single candidate during an election cycle, but organizations are able to easily skirt that limit by donating through affiliated entities with distinct names.

Click here to read other installments in the series.

The top donors

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) gave the most of any organized labor group to legislators during the 2024 cycle, totaling nearly $280,000 across its affiliated PACs and branches in Reno and Las Vegas.

Its session priorities include ensuring worker protections and prevailing wage requirements, which led it to oppose Lombardo’s housing bill as it provides exemptions of those requirements.

In second was the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents more than 6,000 state workers. It contributed $180,000 to 31 Democratic lawmakers, but not more than $10,000 to any single legislator.

This session, the group is prioritizing the bill to expand paid family leave for state workers from eight to 12 weeks, as well as increase how much workers can earn while on leave. The eight-week paid family leave bill for state workers was passed in 2023, a session when the union also secured the largest pay raises in decades for state workers.

AFSCME is also focused on passing AB188, a bill that would expand the state employee eligibility for subsidies that cover part of their health care benefits following retirement. A hearing on the bill has not been scheduled.

In third was the Laborers’ International Union, which represents construction workers. PACs assigned to the union's Las Vegas branch donated more than $99,000, while its Reno branch donated more than $36,000.

Its priorities this session include AB402, which would allow for the installation of speed limit cameras in traffic control zones, and SB312, which calls for construction improvements to Interstate 80 between Sparks and Storey County. It also supports the expansion of the state’s film tax credit program and Lombardo’s housing bill, as well as AB502, a proposal to increase accountability in public works contracts.

Rounding out the top four union donors was Unite Here, a national hospitality workers union whose members include the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. The group gave more than $84,000, about 70 percent of which went to Assm. Linda Hunt (D-North Las Vegas), a longtime Culinary Union member who defeated an Assembly Democratic Caucus-backed candidate in the primary election.

Ted Pappageorge, the secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, said in an interview that the union is “in lockstep” with Unite Here. He said the odds are stacked against unions when it comes to political influence in Nevada, noting that the industry’s total fundraising made up less than 10 percent of all contributions to legislators during the 2024 cycle.

The Culinary Union has historically focused its political efforts on voter outreach and endorsements, rather than donating directly to candidates.

“It’s a David and Goliath story — always — when it comes to the money,” Pappageorge said.

It’s been a rocky start to the session for the Culinary Union, as Lombardo poured cold water on the effort to bring back daily room cleaning requirements in Nevada hotels — a priority for Culinary — while a hearing has not been scheduled on the constitutional amendment to repeal the state’s lottery ban that has been championed by unions but opposed by the gaming industry, the top spender in the 2024 election cycle.

Pappageorge isn’t losing hope yet, though.

“Once in a while, David slays Goliath,” he said.

Who received the most money?

The top 23 recipients of union dollars were Democrats.

Leading the pack were Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) and Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), the only legislators to receive more than $100,000 from the sector.

Assm. Max Carter (D-Las Vegas), a longtime IBEW member, received the third-most money from unions (about $95,000), which he said did not surprise him.

He received $20,000 from IBEW, an amount that exceeds the $10,000 contribution limit to a single legislator, because the union donated through affiliated groups.

“It’s what I was raised in and what I raised my family under,” Carter said.

Carter said his priority as a legislator is to help working-class people — often the income bracket of union members — and this session, he is prioritizing a bill that would increase consumer protections against medical debt collection and is working with unions on a bill to improve train safety regulations.

Hunt, a 45-year member of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, brought in more than $71,000 from unions and labor groups, good for fourth-most among legislators. More than 80 percent of her union donations came from Unite Here.

Hunt declined an interview, but she previously told The Indy that she is representing her constituents in the Legislature, not the union.

“I don't even have a clue what [Culinary has] brought forth,” she said. “All I know is what I'm doing here for the people.”

About 70 percent of her total money raised during the 2024 cycle came from unions, by far the most among any legislator.

Democrats were also much more reliant on labor's donations: 24 of the Legislature’s 40 Democratic lawmakers received more than 10 percent of their total fundraising haul from unions and labor groups. There were no Republicans whose haul from labor groups made up more than 6 percent of their total money raised.

Sean Golonka contributed data analysis.