Bernie Sanders wants to gain support of Latinos in upcoming Las Vegas trip

By Kyle Roerink

Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 | 2 a.m.

In an attempt to make inroads with Nevada’s Latino voters, Democratic socialist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will hold rallies and meet with union members Nov. 8 and 9 in Las Vegas, according to sources from his campaign.

Sanders will come here as he battles with frontrunner Hillary Clinton to win the party’s nomination — something he can’t accomplish without support from Latino voters. He will host a rally Nov. 8, and meet with members of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement the following day.

His campaign has acknowledged he must “fight for every vote” in the Latino community while many of the demographic’s voters have signaled alliances with Clinton.

Nevada’s Latino voters are the fastest growing voting bloc in the state — with about 70-percent aligning with Democrats — and will be a make or break for any candidate in the February presidential caucus.

The Vermont senator has been drawing crowds of more than 10,000 to events where he badgers the billionaire class and calls for undocumented immigrants to receive amnesty. When he visits Las Vegas next month, he will need to win the support of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which offers grassroots support and a membership that’s nearly 60-percent Latino.

The union has yet to make an endorsement, and Sanders will likely be reaching out with it and other groups while visiting the state.

While Sanders’ ground game in Nevada is lagging behind the framework of Clinton’s, he has recently been making up for lost time in the state. This month, he launched a grassroots campaign and was front-and-center at the Wynn Las Vegas during the first Democratic debate.

Sanders visited Las Vegas in June to attend an event representing 7,000 Latino education officials. He spoke to union leaders at a state AFL-CIO convention in August.

In polls, Sanders is losing to Clinton by 3 percent in Iowa and beating her in New Hampshire by 15 percent.