LAS VEGAS - Clark County, Nevada, will be one of the most closely watched counties in the country this November, and Nevada’s GOP chairman spoke to Fox News Digital about what issues voters in that county are most concerned about and why he believes former President Donald Trump has the enthusiasm edge.
"The economy is the big one, but also security," Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald told Fox News Digital. "That's one thing a lot of people are worried about right now is the influx of people coming across the border."
"The economy is really big. Obviously, taking care of your families, making sure that you have the right step forward to be able to make a better life for your family. So those are issues that when you're reaching across and talking to people at these rallies, it's like, are you better off now than you were four years ago? That was a key line from Ronald Reagan. But it's true, because who's representing you? Who's representing the working-class men and women? I'm a working-class guy, so I'm talking about things that are right in my wheelhouse."
McDonald, a former Las Vegas police officer and the youngest person to ever be elected to the Las Vegas City Council, told Fox News Digital he is encouraged by the support he has seen former President Trump and other Republicans receiving from union workers, a key demographic in Clark County.
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"If you look at what's happening with President Trump, he's getting union members, we have culinary members that came to our last several rallies," McDonald said. "We have laborers that have been heavily involved, ironworkers, carpenters. So it's not so much that they're labeled as something. They're independent thinkers and when you're talking about issues, it's an easy one because you're talking about kitchen table cabinets. You talk about what's in the cabinet right now? You know what, prices are up for gas, prices up for food. How am I going to put the kids in a better school? All of those things right now, we're suffering for the last three and half years, and that's on the table."
President Biden narrowly won Nevada by 2.4 points in 2020, winning Clark County by almost 10 points, but the Real Clear Politics average of Nevada polls shows Trump with a slight lead in the state overall.
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McDonald told Fox News Digital there is a "movement" taking place in support of Trump and that he has "never seen" enthusiasm like he sees for Trump in the state.
"I think the energy has risen," McDonald said. "You could call for a rally, you're talking about 5,000 people who get turned away because there's just no room. You're talking about people that when you call for volunteers, they're all over the place. Our walkers, we don't have just members. We have teams that are going out, which we've never seen before."
"And you know, the Democrats, they have union workers that are being paid to walk out as volunteers. And we have teams now that you've never seen before. So the energy and enthusiasm is right in our wheelhouse."
A RNC spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "The Trump Campaign in Nevada is proud to have almost half a dozen offices across the state to meet voters where they are" and that Trump Force 47, the Republican grassroots organizing program, is working to "engage tens of thousands of new volunteers across the country."
McDonald said that he is "confident" but "not cocky" that Republicans will be victorious in Nevada.
"Clearly, we know going into this we will be outmanned, will be outspent," McDonald said. "I mean, she's probably got 2 to 1 on the money, the dollars the billionaire Democrats are throwing at her, wherever it’s coming from. We knew that going in. So we're doing less with more. We have more people that are committed to the movement, not being paid to walk, our people are making the right difference, because they care about it, not being paid to walk."
Vice President Harris has been campaigning hard in Nevada, along with surrogates like former President Barack Obama, and NBC News recently reported that Democrats have invested in a messaging push targeting Hispanic voters in the state.
"Nevada’s Latino and union voters have the power to decide who wins the Silver State in November," DNC spokesperson Marco Frieri told the outlet. "These blocs are vital communities that help keep Nevada’s economy moving forward every single day."
The state has voted for every Democrat who has run for president since 1992, except the two elections with President George W. Bush on the ballot. However, the average margin across those eight elections is just 4.1 points.
McDonald continued, "We have independents that are coming out in numbers, record numbers for us, for Trump. And I think when that's what takes place, I'm not so sure where the numbers are, my job is to keep my head down, keep our troops moving, and make sure we cross the finish line in first place."
Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report
