Nevada Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak Loses Endorsement of Top Teachers Union

Vulnerable incumbent Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) lost the endorsement of a top teachers union less than 30 days from his midterm battle against Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo.

The Clark County Education Association (CCEA) announced on Tuesday that given the state’s many education system struggles, the union “cannot support Steve Sisolak for reelection and will not be making an endorsement in the 2022 Governor’s race” — even though the union supported his 2018 election bid. 

“We will have the largest class sizes in the nation; significant educator vacancies that leave 32,000 students without a full time educator in CCSD; violence in our schools is on the rise; and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our students have 2 years of lost education they will never get back. These issues require leadership at the State level to find strategic solutions,” according to the CCEA, which called itself “the largest independent education union in the country and the State of Nevada” representing 18,000 licensed professionals in Clark County School District.  

“… Our members know firsthand the conditions of our public schools, the level of funding we are at and the need for educators to be able to live in the communities we teach in with sustainable salaries and health benefits. To our members we say: vote what you know,” the CCEA added.

Sisolak did not appear to address the news directly but took to Twitter the same day to tout endorsements from “over 60 talented teachers.”

Elizabeth Ray, spokesperson for the Lombardo campaign, said Sisolak has “failed our kids,” following the CCEA’s announcement.

“Steve Sisolak has failed our kids, our educators, and our schools for far too long. Our schools are unsafe, our students are failing to meet basic academic benchmarks, and our teachers have a poor quality of life. Unlike Steve Sisolak, Sheriff Joe Lombardo has a plan to fix Nevada’s broken education system, and he will immediately work to bring safety, accountability, and empowerment to our schools,” Ray said in a statement. 

The union’s decision not to endorse Sisolak comes as Clark County Sheriff Lombardo pulls ahead in the polls. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released on Wednesday shows Lombardo narrowly ahead, 44 percent to 43 percent. A CNN poll from last week showed Lombardo ahead 48 to 46 percent and leading among independent voters 47 percent to 40 percent. RealClearPolitics gives Lombardo a 1.8 point advantage in the “toss up” race.