Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Pro-Harry Reid ad draws criticism over ‘Nevada’ pronunciation

Audio Clip

  • NEA's radio ad touting Harry Reid's efforts for Nevada health care.

WASHINGTON -- Here’s a note to all the national groups coming in to run ads for or against the health care debate: Learn how the locals pronounce Nevada.

A radio ad from the National Education Association running in support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s work on health care reform butchers the local parlance, drawing barbs from the Nevada Republican Party.

Saying the state’s name the way the locals do is a big deal in Nevada, which shuns the Spanish pronunciation in favor of a more folksy way of emphasizing that second syllable. So important was it that Democrats once brought cookies frosted with the preferred pronunciation to a national party meeting.

“They should pretend to know something about our state ... starting with its correct pronunciation," said a statement from Nevada Republican Party Chairman Sue Lowden, who is likely to challenge Reid in next year’s election.

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