Democrats are criticizing Vice President Mike Pence for holding a campaign event while COVID-19 cases are surging in Washoe County.
Pence’s trip to Reno comes while Washoe County is currently dealing with more than 2,100 active cases of the novel coronavirus — an all-time high.
While speaking at a “Get Out the Vote” event at the Democratic headquarters in Reno, DNC Chair Tom Perez said Pence, the head of the federal government’s coronavirus taskforce, should know the risks.
“He’s not going to tell you the truth about the coronavirus and the truth of the matter is it’s getting worse. He’ll say, ‘We’ve turned a corner.’ We’ve turned a corner to nowhere,” Perez said, “Nevadans want people who will level with them. I’m here today to make sure that everybody gets out and votes because we’re in a crisis right now.”
As KUNR previously reported, airport officials say the tenant of the private hangar hosting the event agreed to comply with all state COVID-19 regulations.
Democrats also held events this week, as Vice Presidential Nominee, Senator Kamala Harris, spoke to voters at two campaign stops in Reno on Tuesday.
Democrats also have announced another round of ad buys in Washoe County ahead of election day. That includes billboards and a TV ad critical of the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic.
Nevada is currently on track to hit 100,000 total cases of COVID-19 by the election and has been one of the hardest hit states in terms of unemployment.
Election officials in Washoe County say Democrats have returned roughly 3,000 more ballots than the GOP, so far.
Lucia Starbuck is a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
We need your support to ensure this vital reporting continues. Show your support by making a gift – Click Here.