This is THE question

The CD2 Candidates have hit the road through Rural Northern Nevada this past week and responded in real-time with their initial thoughts. But let’s be real! This is politics. Answers come with polished messaging, deflection, and loaded with rhetoric. Even though the majority of voters don’t really know who these folks are, opinions about them form quickly, through identity bias “they’re just like me”, short influencer clips, or even At-A-Glance lists like the one we previously shared. Well, here’s why that’s problematic…

That list we created had a major error. To Matthew Fonken, we apologize for inaccuracies regarding your funding. It in fact comes primarily from family, friends, local supporters, and some from movement-aligned fundraising groups (listed transparently on his website). He also refuses corporate PACs, AIPAC, or other pro-Israel PACs. When we get something wrong, we own it. Integrity means taking responsibility, and doing better next time. And that’s what we intend to do by taking a step back, analyzing the data objectively, then share it. From these Q&A forums, how should we share the information to help inform voters? Easy. By letting them speak for themselves.

We learned a LOT from these forums, like how Sam is literally a sweetheart, that Mark is a bit of a comedian, and that Kathy’s mom/teacher/coach identity is really special. We learned that Gamy really cares about economic inequality, and that Matthew’s a bit of a rebel infiltrating political spaces before he got into them. We learned Josh is sharp as a tack, in how he connects issues with clear broader impact, and how Teressa is a passionate communicator for change. We learned that Morgan is driven and confident in many spaces, and that Greg is a determined guy, given he’s ran for this seat for awhile, and he ain’t stopping.

In Winnemucca, candidates were asked, “How do you plan to energize voters who have lost faith in the Democratic Party? How can you change the public conversation and get people’s attention? Will you commit to holding town halls not just in Reno but rural Nevada?” By following a set of criteria and analyzing answers, we can cut through the fluff/rhetoric to get to the heart of each candidate’s focus, stance, and plans (if they had any) but more importantly, it reveals whether they’re relying on messaging or if they are connecting their past actions to future promises, and if they align with collective movement priorities.

THIS QUESTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT one in this race because it gets to the heart of representation. It’s really asking: “Are you just another representative with better messaging, or are you someone who will actually show up, rebuild trust, and lead differently, especially with people the party has lost, and in such a tough district?”

HOW DID THEY ANSWER? One candidate leaned on strong messages of hope, others to her own identity as the key. Some on policy/system changes as a collective wish for a better system… but how?  Only a few focused on a more structural approach: grassroots pressure and accountability, organizing people, amplifying their voices, and using collective pressure to force those in power to respond. It’s done with People Power -relationship-building and finding common ground through respectful cross-aisle conversation. This town hall question was not one to gloss over, and 3 avoided it all together, maybe not intentionally but what they chose to focus on instead means something. Only a few went beyond theoretical “I will do this” and connected their proposed future commitments to past actions “I have done this, and I will continue to”.

Given the RCO’s motto is Anger is Valid, but UNITY through peace is far more powerful, when we hear “We must be listening to all voices across this district. Pushing kindly, whenever someone says something aggressive to you, don’t get easily offended. Listen, and we listen to the frustration, we find the common pathways,” we take notice! It resonates deeply, and that’s how you build trust from the Truckee River valley, to the high desert basins, to the Northern mountains. Please read a full analysis of each candidate’s response, and the FULL, UNEDITED VIDEO of the corresponding Q&A session on our YouTube to assess for yourself. AND follow on instagram, because more are coming.

A Caution: Be aware of your own identity bias/fears. It’s natural to want someone to win because they are like you, but we should not cast votes out of loyalty to an individual (or group) and definitely not out of fear. We hear the concern that “Republicans won’t vote for them because they are too…” BLANK. They are too young, too old, a Latina, a typical white guy, a rich white guy, a woman, too open about mental illness, or gay. But the reality is, all of those identities are woven into our state, and they do represent who we are (less the rich guy, but hey, didn’t want to exclude him).

When we assume that  _____ can’t win, we’re feeding into the same culture war we’ve been in stark opposition to, because we know that fight is to distract us from the real class war. If the logic applies to everyone on the ballot, doesn’t that make it fall apart? Instead of voting with fears on how Republicans might vote, we should be voting for the candidate whose values align with ours, whose actions back up their words, and whose record reflects the future they’re promising. And because we also live in reality, who has these qualities in addition to funding, endorsements, and grassroots efforts/support. The first core value listed on our website since we started over a year ago is LOVE OVER FEAR. We urge you to hold onto that principle by voting for what you believe is right in your heart, and then fight for it, like hell. Together, we choose courage over fear, unity over division, and leaders who will show up, rebuild trust, and fight for all of us.