Hillary Clinton campaigns at Strip casino, Henderson union hall

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hopscotched to different stops throughout Southern Nevada on Saturday, visiting a Strip casino, rallying supporters at a Henderson union hall and dropping by several businesses.

For Clinton and fellow Democratic candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., time is running short to woo Nevada voters. Democrats caucus on Feb. 20, giving their preference for who should get the Democratic nomination for president.

"I know how important you are to getting this economy working for everybody again," Clinton told a group of 400 cheering supporters, many holding union signs backing her candidacy. "We can't develop the middle class if we don't get back at having a strong American labor movement."

Clinton made her remarks at the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Local Union No. 159, in Henderson. Her pep talk was aimed at supporters who will go out and canvass for her in advance of the caucus.

Clinton pledged to "use the bully pulpit" for the cause of organized labor, adding a strong American labor movement is crucial for "a resurgence of the American middle class."

She also hammered home what Nevadans know all too well: The state suffered greatly during the Great Recession.

"This state was extremely hard hit," Clinton said. "Too many people lost their jobs. Too many people lost their homes."

Clinton placed the Great Recession's woes squarely on Republican policies, saying "Republicans want us to forget how hard it was. Well, I'm not going to let them."

More good jobs are needed for Americans, Clinton said, reminding the audience of the nation's economic prosperity when her husband Bill Clinton was president.

"I know we can do this," she said. "It wasn't so long ago that we were doing it. You look at my husband's record: 23 million new jobs."

Clinton told the people to tell others what the campaign supports when they encourage others to caucus for her.

"I want you to explain that we're going to have new jobs in infrastructure and manufacturing and clean, renewable energy," Clinton said. "We're going to put people to work across America again, and we're going to see incomes going up just like we did in the 90s."

Before the rally, Clinton visited workers in their break room at Harrah's Las Vegas on Saturday.

Clinton shook their hands, encouraging them to caucus for her in a week. Clinton then went down to the main area of the casino-resort, greeting workers and tourists alike."Anybody from Nevada?" Clinton said as surprised onlookers crowded close for a glimpse of the potential first female president. "I need your help."

Tourists and workers shook her hand and posed for selfies with Clinton. She is campaigning hard in Nevada, with one week to go before Democrats caucus.

Clinton also visited the Gritz Cafe in Las Vegas and posed for pictures with students at a nearby cosmetology school.

Inside the cafe was a picture of President Barack Obama, who successfully battled Clinton for the nomination in 2008. Clinton served in Obama's administration as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Clinton also dropped by the Las Vegas Indoor Sports Center, visiting adults and children on a youth soccer team.

Nevada is the third early voting state in the U.S. and the first in the West. Clinton narrowly won the party's Iowa caucus, while Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic primary.

— Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.