As a Nevadan, I was dismayed when Republican Congressman Mark Amodei (R-Carson City) voted for the disastrous House version of Trumpcare. I, like many Nevadans, viewed Amodei’s act as a betrayal of a promise he had made to us. You see after a series of town meetings with Senator Dean Heller (R-Smith Valley), Congressman Amodei promised constituents concerned about losing access to life saving treatment that he would vote against the bill. Then Vice President Mike Pence met with Amodei and got Amodei to change his mind and betray his own constituents. Nobody really knows what the Vice President told Amodei, though it is a safe bet that Pence reminded Amodei of his professed belief that Donald Trump is the second coming of the Messiah.
Those of us who were active in Nevada politics realized that the 2nd Congressional District, which (under current boundaries) voted for Obama in 2008 by 3%, and would’ve elected Jill Derby over Dean Heller in 2006, was a winnable district and set out looking for a candidate. The 2nd District is a microcosm of Nevada, it is anchored by the Reno-Sparks-Carson City Metropolitan Area—the second largest metro area in the State—it includes small, out of the way towns like Jackpot, Austin, and Eureka. Agriculture flourishes along the canals built by Teddy Roosevelt in towns like Fallon and Fernley. And the district has proud mining towns that endure a perennial boom and bust cycle like Yerington, Lovelock, Battle Mountain and Winnemucca.
Those of us who have seen the party try to win this district for over a decade and fail every time knew we needed someone different. We needed a candidate who was known for his good work in rural Nevada. We needed a candidate who was also known in Reno. We found it in Democrat Clint Koble.
In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Koble to be the Nevada State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency. As a presidential appointee in a State hit by a once in a century drought, Koble oversaw quick, effective relief programs to all Nevada ranchers. As a staffer to then-Congressman Steven Horsford, I saw Koble actively engage Native American ranchers and farmers—who had historically been discriminated against by USDA. I also saw Koble work with extremely conservative farmers, irrespective of politics, because he knew how critical Nevada’s farms are to a small town’s long-term survival.
None of this should make you think that Koble is a conservative Democrat. He, like most Nevadans, takes issues on a case by case basis, and supports policies that are in the best interest of Nevadans. It is that kind of open-minded, thoughtful approach that would be a welcome change from the ideological division of Donald Trump’s Washington.
One of the first issues Clint studied as a candidate for Congress was health care. After hearing the stories of the Nevadans who have been harmed by Mark Amodei’s vote for Trumpcare, Clint endorsed Medicare for All as he announced his campaign earlier this month.
Mark Amodei can be defeated, and if Clint has enough resources, Mark Amodei will be defeated. You can help Clint by chipping in to his campaign today, just click the “Chip in for Clint” button on his webpage.