Season 4 of Purple Politics Nevada returns live with a 2026 election look-ahead

Voter roll purge? ID? Election changes hark back to Jim Crow voter suppression tactics

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b7afb26/2147483647/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff5%2Fea%2Fe7bd15be469b86c100a26efd696b%2Fearly-voting-primary-election-2022-washoe-county-lucia-starbuck.JPG](Lucia Starbuck / KUNR Public Radio) The United States has a long history of voter suppression tactics. As the 2026 General Election heats up, some of those same Jim Crow-era efforts to purge voter rolls, require identification, and disseminate untrue claims of widespread voter fraud are being shared while President Trump is attempting to federalize elections, including in Nevada. Tune in to this month’s episode of KUNR’s Purple Politics Nevada with Lucia Starbuck to learn about the state’s election laws and outside strategies to restrict voting rights. Guests: Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Emory University Robert W. Woodruff Professor of African American Studies Carol Anderson.

Who survived Nevada’s primaries and the fight ahead

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/366bc0a/2147483647/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd5%2F14%2Fe56aafda4557bea2203962110501%2Fearly-voting-primary-election-2022-washoe-county-lucia-starbuck.JPG](Lucia Starbuck / KUNR Public Radio) Nevada candidates will have five months to make their case to voters ahead of the November election. While results from Tuesday’s Primary are still preliminary, clear winners emerged on election night. Tune in to this month’s episode of Purple Politics Nevada with Lucia Starbuck to hear how Trump-endorsed David Flippo defeated a longtime family cattle-rancher, who will now face former state Assembly leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson, along with the fight heating up between incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Ford. The main question: Are you happy with the current direction of the state and the country? Guests: Associate professor of political science Jeremy Gelman, College of Southern Nevada history professor Sondra Cosgrove, and sound bites from Benitez-Thompson, Flippo, and Ford collected by KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck, Emma Charles, Maria Palma, Lupe Alvarez, and The Nevada Independent’s James Wolfgang Perez and Nick Stewart.

Meet the Democratic primary candidates for governor in Nevada

Alexis Hill (left) and Aaron Ford are Democratic candidates for Nevada governor in the 2026 June Primary. [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5fe4b72/2147483647/strip/false/crop/900x500+0+0/resize/792x440!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2Ff3%2F82d3233a485c9f1702ff58dbcc05%2Fppnv-web-cover-1.png] Alexis Hill (left) and Aaron Ford are Democratic candidates for Nevada governor in the 2026 June Primary.(Headshots courtesy of Alexis Hill and Aaron Ford) The June Primary is right around the corner, and mail ballots have been sent out. This month’s episode of Purple Politics Nevada, hosted by KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck, focuses on the Democratic race for governor. Two current elected officials – Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill – want to advance to the general election to most likely challenge incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo. Listen to the show to learn about their policy priorities on health care, housing, immigration, and data centers.

Guests discuss partisan dynamics in the CD2 primary and Nevada’s proposed voter ID law

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, people vote at a polling place in Las Vegas. Nevada, the third state to vote on the presidential primary next year, is supposed to offer Democrats something different. It's more diverse than largely white Iowa and New Hampshire. Its population is working class, urbanized and increasingly blue. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b698062/2147483647/strip/false/crop/4773x3062+0+0/resize/792x508!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0f%2Fdf%2F44dc453147a8adbb1969e8e14c2f%2Fap19341010827377.jpg]FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, people vote at a polling place in Las Vegas. Nevada, the third state to vote on the presidential primary next year, is supposed to offer Democrats something different. It's more diverse than largely white Iowa and New Hampshire. Its population is working class, urbanized and increasingly blue. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)(John Locher / AP) On this month’s Purple Politics Nevada, guest host Bert Johnson spoke with UNR Associate Professor of Political Science Jeremy Gelman about the wide-open primary for Northern Nevada’s Congressional District 2. Gelman broke down the likely frontrunners from both major parties and the role national politics could play in the race. Then, David Gibbs from Repair the Vote and Kerry Durmick from All Voting is Local Action joined the show to discuss Ballot Question 7, which would amend the Nevada Constitution to require photo ID at the polls. Listen to the full episode to hear their positions on the measure, which passed in 2024 with 73% voter approval.

Meet the Democratic candidates for Nevada’s Attorney General

Zach Conine (left) and Nicole Cannizzaro are the two Democratic candidates for Nevada Attorney General in the 2026 June Primary. [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5ed993b/2147483647/strip/false/crop/900x500+0+0/resize/792x440!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F35%2Fe6%2Ffa35635d4a6cad9314680c86e7d6%2Fppnv-web-cover.png]Zach Conine (left) and Nicole Cannizzaro are the two Democratic candidates for Nevada Attorney General in the 2026 June Primary.(Headshots courtesy of Zach Conine and Nicole Cannizzaro) The June Primary is less than three months away. This month’s episode of Purple Politics Nevada, hosted by KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck, focuses on the Democratic race for attorney general. Two current elected officials – Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro – want to advance to the general election to become the state’s top law enforcement officer, but only one candidate can. Listen to the show to learn about their policy priorities.