How inflation is driving Nevada voters' decisions: Reporter's notebook

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The sound of slot machines instantly rings as soon as you step foot in Harry Reid International Airport. Wild cherry, 777, and jackpot symbols are scattered everywhere you turn in Las Vegas. And although money is seemingly always top of mind in Sin City, it's not just gambling folks are talking about this year, it's inflation.

Nevada is arguably one of the most competitive states in the upcoming midterm elections, with the GOP looking to flip both the House and Senate. Nevada’s identity is typically purple, but Republicans have a fighting chance to flip it red amid recession fears, high gas prices and other economic woes.

Soul Sunday

Last Sunday I attended “Souls to the Polls,” which is an election tradition of getting voters to the polls.

There, I heard several in attendance speak on inflation. From covering Nevada for the last couple of months, I know that inflation is the top issue among voters. Nevada also has one of the country's highest inflation rates, and residents have repeatedly told me they are feeling the impact daily.

When I asked Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak how he would fix inflation if he was re-elected, he told me that a governor does not have a lot of influence when it comes to this issue.

He said inflation is a national issue but also argued President Joe Biden was not to blame for the rise in prices across the country. Sisolak said the president doesn’t have much say in the price of gasoline, groceries and other household items.

But residents of Nevada aren't so sure.

Inflation hits home

After speaking with the governor, I decided to hit the polls the next day to speak with residents about inflation and how it has impacted their lives and decisions to vote.

There, I came across small business owner Kate McCullough who said her business took a significant hit during COVID and that inflation forced her to lay off employees.

I then met Adolof Camacho, who is not only a first-time voter but also the first person in his family to vote. He told me inflation was his top issue, especially with the prices of groceries and rent rising. Camacho was next to his mother, an immigrant from Mexico, who began to cry when speaking about her son voting. She told me she could not vote, so her son was not only casting the ballot for him but on his family's behalf.

Camacho wouldn't say what party he was voting for but did say every vote matters in a state like Nevada.

"I’m gonna be the first one in the family to vote,” he said with a smile on his face. "All of those things that they say like every vote counts, and it’s true. Every vote does count. It makes a difference. It makes a huge difference, you know. If we don’t go out and vote … it’s still going to be the same. Or it’s going to change for better or for worse."

And it's not just voters saying inflation is driving many of their decisions, it's their actions too.

Gold & Silver Pawn Shop CFO Andy Zimmerman, the store from the hit show "Pawn Stars," told me he's seen customers' habits change as prices went up.

Zimmerman said people would pawn items a lot during the pandemic but once inflation got worse, people just started straight up selling.

"Gas in Nevada is particularly high. What we’re seeing is a lot of people coming in and selling their items,” Zimmerman said. "In the beginning, we would do loans or pawns against their items then they would pick it up. Well, because the perception is transition or temporary and now what we’re finding or seeing is that it’s not temporary.”

People I spoke with in Nevada echoed those comments. They thought inflation was going to go away more quickly but it’s still here and impacting business owners, families and residents. And even though they thought it was temporary, it's motivating them to vote with the hopes of creating long-term change in the Silver State.