SEIU launches Spanish ads backing Clinton in Nevada
The Service Employees International Union is putting money toward Spanish-language ads supporting Hillary Clinton and canvassing to reach Latino voters in Nevada in advance of Saturday's caucus for Democratic presidential candidates.
The SEIU's Committee on Political Education has spent more than $100,000 on Nevada efforts that include canvassing and advertisting in Nevada. The political action committee is putting ads on Spanish-language radio and television stations in the Las Vegas market. The large ad buy is aimed at reaching a desirable segment of the electorate: Nevada's growing Hispanic and Latino population, which reached nearly 28 percent of the population in 2014.
The SEIU, which represents about 2 million employees nationwide, endorsed Clinton in November. In Nevada, the SEIU Local 1107 represents about 17,000 people who work in both government and the private sector. The SEIU is the second largest public employee union in the state. The state's biggest public union is the Clark County Education Association that represents teachers.
The Culinary union, the state's largest union, has opted not to endorse any candidates before the caucuses and is focusing on voter registration and helping its members gain citizenship.
Clinton is facing Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont.
The Clinton-supporting 30-second spot describes the former secretary of state as someone who "doesn't quit" and "will never stop fighting," highlighting the need for a fair minimum wage. A 90-second spot educates viewers about the caucus and requirements to participate, encouraging viewers to support Clinton.
The spots will run up until Saturday's first-in-the-West caucus. The union is doing similar efforts in South Carolina, another early voting state for Democrats after Nevada.
The group's Nevada-related expenditures include $71,125 for television advertisting and production, $26,759 for radio advertisting and production, and $25,916 on direct mail, according to a report the group filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission.
The SEIU also reported three separate expenditures of $72,276 apiece for canvassing in opposition to three Republican presidential candidates: billionaire businessman Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
SEIU's 2-month-long ground game is continuing this week in a bid to get voters to caucus. It has assembled 59 precinct captains to canvass their neighborhoods in Las Vegas and Henderson, said Brian Shepherd, the union's state director.
"The thing that I'm finding is almost all the people we're talking to have never participated in the caucus process," he said.
The group also is reaching Asian-American Pacific islanders alongside Latinos and "figuring out how to energize those communities around Hillary."
The key issues that come up include minimum-wage increases, immigration reform and affordable childcare, Shepherd said.
So far, they've knocked on about 36,000 doors.
The work won't stop after the caucus, Shepherd said. They hope it becomes the foundation for getting Clinton elected in November.
"We're really building something for beyond the caucus," Shepherd said.
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1
