Scheduled to take place on February 22, the 2020 Nevada Democratic caucuses could be an opportunity for White House hopefuls who underperformed in Iowa and New Hampshire to gain some momentum in the presidential race. One such candidate is Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who failed to make an impact in both states.
On Saturday, Warren released a new campaign advertisement, according to The Hill . The ad, which will air in Nevada, touts Warren’s work with former Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former President Barack Obama . The 30-second video highlights praise from both men.
“She’s become perhaps the leading voice in our country on behalf of consumers,” Obama can be heard saying in the video.
“Elizabeth understands what I strongly believe – that a strong, growing economy begins with a strong and thriving middle class.”
“She had studied the financial world and had an insight into it that others didn’t have. When she talks, people listen,” Reid says in archival footage included in the clip.
As The Hill notes, Warren set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under the Obama administration. Although Reid retired in 2017, he remains an influential figure in Nevada.
Neither Obama nor Reid has endorsed anyone yet. However, in an interview with The New York Times , Reid revealed that several candidates have regularly reached out to him, seeking advice. “The only advice I give anyone is if they call me. I’m as candid with them as I can be. And I don’t always tell them what they want to hear,” he told the NYT .
The ad comes as Warren seeks to re-establish herself as a real contender in the primary race. For months, she was considered to be one of the frontrunners, only to fade away in late 2019.
The senator centered much of her platform on economic issues, but she appears to have drifted away from her many plans and is now pitching herself as the unity candidate, claiming to be someone who can appeal to both moderates and progressives in the Democratic Party.
I was proud to fight beside @SenatorReid and @BarackObama to protect consumers—and I’ll keep fighting to protect consumers as president of the United States. Watch our new ad airing in Nevada now. pic.twitter.com/A7G9fNxjsA
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 15, 2020
According to the latest polling , Warren will likely not be a formidable contender in Nevada. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders appears poised to win the race, with 25 percent of the vote. Former Vice President Joe Biden is in second place with 18 percent and Warren in third, polling at 13 percent.
Progressives appear to have coalesced around Sanders and moderate-leaning Democrats seem undecided between Biden, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, leaving little room for Warren to generate significant support.
