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PHOTOS: Political candidates attempt to woo voters during annual Nevada Day Parade

David Calvert
David Calvert
Elections
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Some came for the candy. 

Some came for the festive floats.

Some came for the celebratory atmosphere.

Some came for the exposure to scores of potential voters.

Welcome to the Nevada Day Parade during an election year. The annual event brought incumbent and aspiring elected officials to Carson City on Saturday, giving the statehood celebration a decidedly political feel.

The parade participants somewhat resembled this year’s ballot: Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and her Republican challenger, Adam Laxalt, waved to onlookers along the route. So did Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo; Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford and his Republican opponent, Sigal Chattah; and Democratic Treasurer Zach Conine and his Republican rival, Michele Fiore, among others. 

Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak had a float in the parade, but he did not participate because of security threats, a spokesperson with the governor’s office said. Instead, Sisolak spent the afternoon giving tours of the governor’s mansion in Carson City.

The festivities surrounding Nevada’s 158th birthday, which technically falls on Monday, coincided with the early vote period. Ahead of the midterm election on Nov. 8, Nevada voters are already filling out their mail ballots or casting their votes in person.

The roughly four-hour parade, which slowly marches through the downtown area of Carson City, gave political candidates another chance to connect with voters, but it also gave Nevadans a real-life glimpse of the men and women whose faces are donning campaign mailers, billboards and television ads. 

But the hoopla wasn’t entirely politics-related. Similar to past years, the Nevada Day celebration featured rock drilling and beard contests, among other activities surrounding the parade. Ahead of the event, Bobby Bean, president of the Nevada Day Board of Directors, encouraged attendees to wear capes and costumes for the ”Carnivál  On The Comstock” theme.

“Carnivál represents colorful floats, upbeat music, it’s a reason to dress up and have fun!” Bean wrote in a press release announcing the theme earlier this year.

Photographer David Calvert captured the spirit of the Nevada Day celebrations through his camera lens:

Correction (Nov. 1, 2022, at 12:35 p.m.): A photo caption of a picture featuring Attorney General Aaron Ford has been updated to correct who was surrounding him.

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