Voters of Tomorrow, the nation’s largest Gen Z-led voter engagement organization, has endorsed Democratic gubernatorial nominee Aaron Ford, The Nevadan learned exclusively.
The endorsement comes as early voting begins in three days, where Nevadans will choose between Ford and incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Lombardo is considered the most vulnerable Republican governor in the nation as Democrats hope to flip Nevada back to blue.
Former President Barack Obama also urged Nevadans to vote for Ford today.
Behind the endorsement
Voters of Tomorrow told The Nevadan it has hundreds of volunteers across the state to engage young voters through peer-to-peer organizing, digital organizing, community events, volunteer recruitment, voter registration drives and more.
“The cost of living is too f— high and young people in Nevada and across this country can’t afford to live. That’s why we’re getting behind Aaron Ford,” Executive Director Santiago Mayer wrote in a statement to The Nevadan. “He gets the struggle. He’s had to rely on food stamps and Medicaid. He went on to become a public school teacher and is now fighting for a hopeful future for our generation.”
Ford has campaigned on affordability, tying rising prices to the “Lombardo-Trump economy.” Lombardo previously said he can’t do anything about the affordability crisis.
Democrats, on the other hand, have scrutinized Lombardo for vetoing bills they say would help working families. Ford vowed that if elected, he would sign those vetoed bills into law, which include capping the price of insulin, universal free school meals, and expanded paid family leave.
“Young people have a fighter in Aaron Ford, and Gen Z is ready to go all in to elect him as the next governor of Nevada,” Mayer said.
‘We have the numbers’
Mayer, a Mexican immigrant who just became a U.S. citizen this summer, founded Voters of Tomorrow. The group says there are more than 50 million members of Gen Z who are eligible to vote this election cycle—and that about half a million of Gen Z are eligible to vote in Nevada.
“Right now we have the numbers, we have the energy, and we have a generation that has shown again and again that we are willing to fight for the future we believe in,” said Kaya Jones, senior director of programming. “Voting is a right that generations before us fought to secure, and exercising that right allows us to carry on the legacy of people who believed deeply in what this country could become.”
Voters of Tomorrow has more than 11,000 members and chapters across more than 25 states. Organizers have connected with half a million young voters and helped register thousands of Gen Z.
The organization is able to mobilize young voters because of its investment of $1 million this campaign cycle to conduct phonebanks, outreach and digital organizing, as first reported by COURIER.
“If our votes weren’t so powerful, they wouldn’t be trying so hard to keep us from the ballot box,” Jones said.
Voters of Tomorrow will host a town hall with California Rep. Ro Khanna (D) in Reno on Oct. 23 at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Early voting begins Oct. 17 and runs through Oct. 30.
