RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A University of Nevada, Reno political science professor says Tuesday’s election results signal a demand for change, especially in Washoe County.
Dr. Jeremy Gelman, an associate professor of political science at UNR, spoke about what the results mean for Northern Nevada. Democrats won key races across Nevada and flipped seats people thought were out of reach.
“This district is drawn to be a Republican gerrymander, and the fact that Teresa Benitez-Thompson won, but also won by a lot, I think has a lot to say about how the night went,” Gelman said.
Gelman noted that Washoe County is traditionally a key purple battleground, but voters this year leaned heavily blue.
“I think people in Nevada are trying to understand how big of a deal this was nationally. Looking at her margin and looking at Aaron Ford’s margin is a really good indication of how upset people are with Republicans and how much they wanted change, and a check on the president,” he said.
Gelman said the power shift could take time to produce results. He said one of the Democratic focuses in Washington, D.C., will be serving as a check on the executive branch.
“Even though Democrats did really well last night, the legislative process for laws either requires a president’s signature or at least two-thirds of Congress to vote for a bill,” Gelman said. “Democrats have big majorities, especially in the House, but they don’t have two-thirds of the vote, so they’re going to need to work with Donald Trump to the extent he’s interested in working with them.”
Gelman said bipartisan compromise is still possible despite expected gridlock.
“It doesn’t mean there aren’t points of agreement between the parties,” Gelman said. “We often think about all the things they disagree about. What doesn’t make the news are the things they do agree about. There’s going to be legislation that passes, government funding that passes.”
Gelman said the shift gives Democrats the green light to push priorities such as affordable living, water policy and public land development. He said it will be easier to push agendas in Nevada because there will be less political gridlock.
Gelman said key differences and deep polarization remain in the community. He said voters showed their voices carry power.
“What we can be optimistic about is there does seem to be responsiveness in the system,” Gelman said. “Voters have the ability to make big changes, whether you agree with them or not. There’s going to be a whole new batch of people going to Washington, D.C., to Carson City. When we think about accountability and whether voters can make a difference, last night, even if you are a Republican and not happy with what happened, it’s pretty astounding what people can do.”
Gelman said polling numbers differ every year, but he is interested to see how these results will persist in the 2028 primary election.
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