Sandoval coast-to-coast

Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval is racking up lots of travel miles this week, with trips to both the east and west coast.

On Tuesday Sandoval met in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., seeking Reid's help in getting about $320 million in federal relief to offset the cost of providing unemployment benefits and Medicaid help for Nevadans.

Tomorrow Sandoval is expected to attend a meeting of the Republican Governor's Association in San Diego where he will be on a panel called "The New Face of the GOP."

From ABC News: "Tomorrow afternoon RGA members and the media meet the 'New Face of The GOP.' The panel includes Hispanic governors-elect Brian Sandoval of Nevada and Susana Martinez of New Mexico as well as Indian-American Gov.–elect Nikki Haley of South Carolina.

"Rounding out the panel are two new Governors who aren’t all that new to state or national politics (and aren’t women or minorities): ex-U.S. Rep. John Kasich of Ohio and State Attorney General Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania.
"Mary Fallin, the first woman elected governor of Oklahoma, joins Sandoval, Martinez, Haley and Tim Pawlenty for a press availability that afternoon entitled 'A Revitalized GOP'."

Sandoval, who will become Nevada's first Hispanic governor, was also mentioned in an article from the Washington Post headlined, "GOP governors look to rebrand their party."

The article stated, in part, "Cracking the Hispanic vote has been a high priority for Republicans dating back more than two decades. Only rarely have GOP candidates done well with the fastest-growing segment of the population. Former president George W. Bush won about half the Hispanic vote in Texas in his gubernatorial reelection campaign in 1998. This year, Perry won only about 35 percent, according to exit polls. Sandoval did little better in his race, despite his heritage."