Yet another presidential hopeful has visited Northern Nevada. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker made stops at both the Douglas County and Washoe County Democrats offices on Friday. KUNR’s Paolo Zialcita has more.
Nearly 150 people were packed into the headquarters of the Washoe Dems to welcome Senator Booker to the region.
The former Newark mayor spoke to the crowd and addressed issues such as healthcare, education and gun violence.
Booker’s rhetoric focused on healing divisiveness across the country. He promised to push the country to grow without leaving behind those who have felt excluded by Democratic policies.
“This country needs us to be a party that talks about uniting Americans. This is a moment in our country where more than ever, we don't need to go the low ground of hate, we need to take the high ground of love,” Booker said.
In terms of education, Booker promised debt forgiveness and tax breaks for teachers. Some people, like William Toledo, an assistant professor of social science education at UNR, wanted to hear more about teachers’ salaries.
“I know a lot of teachers who are in the field active, who leave for a better paying job or have to take on a second job, and that's not the place I want to be in because I really believe in the value of teachers and of education, but as a society, we're not saying we value them based on their pay and the respect we give them,” Toledo said.
Booker is the third high-profile Democratic hopeful to visit Northern Nevada in anticipation of the 2020 election. Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren both made stops in the past month as well.
Editor's note: The final paragraph has been revised to say that Booker is the third high-profile Democratic presidential hopeful who has visited Northern Nevada recently ahead of the 2020 election. A previous version had omitted the words "high profile" but, in fact, other candidates with limited public relations resources and less name recognition have visited the region as well.
