At Democratic National Convention Nevada state senator tells voters to reject Trump
PHILADELPHIA – State Sen. Ruben Kihuen called on voters to “reject the fears of Trump” when he spoke Thursday at the Democratic National Convention.
Kihuen, D-Las Vegas, is running for the 4th Congressional District seat against incumbent U.S. Rep. Cresent Hardy, R-Nev. Kihuen spoke of coming to the United States with his family from Mexico when he was 8 years old.
“My parents knew, if we worked hard, sacrificed and played by the rules, in America we would succeed,” Kihuen said.
Kihuen spoke about how his mother has cleaned hotel rooms in Las Vegas for more than 23 years and has been getting a decent wage, health care and protection from the Culinary Local 226.
His family’s story, Kihuen said, isn’t the type of story that Republican nominee Donald Trump talks about. Kihuen took aim at Trump’s past statements about immigrants and wanting to build a wall along the border with Mexico.
“Donald Trump and Republicans tell a different story about immigrant families like mine,” Kihuen said.
“To them, we are ‘rapists’ and ‘criminals.’ … They believe in building walls and pitting Americans against each other.
“Donald Trump fears us — worse, he incites that fear in others,” Kihuen added. “He must be terrified of me: I’m a Mexican immigrant running for Congress.”
Immigrants, Kihuen said, “dream of more than just citizenship.”
“We, like all Americans, dream of a good education, a good-paying job, to own our own car, and our own home, and that our kids will breath clean air and grow up on safe streets,” he said.
In a nod to Hillary Clinton’s status as the first female nominee for president of a major party, Kihuen said, “We dream of our daughters knowing in their heart they, too, can be president of the United States.”
“Time to reject the fears of Trump, time to take back Congress, time to elect Hillary Clinton as our next president of the United States of America, and time to turn our dreams into reality,” Kihuen said.
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1
