October 20, 2026
Kamala Harris will meet Nevada's 60,000-strong Culinary Union in Las Vegas on 21 October to back Aaron Ford's bid to unseat Governor Joe Lombardo, as casino workers voice anger over tourism, living costs and Station Casinos.
With the midterm elections just around the corner, Nevada is once again one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in the United States. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is due in Las Vegas on 21 October, where she will meet members of the powerful Culinary Union and throw her support behind Attorney General Aaron Ford, the Democrat challenging Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. For the casino city, the race is about far more than party colours: it is about the wages, jobs and living costs of the people who keep the Strip running.
Who: Kamala Harris and members of Nevada's Culinary Union
When: 21 October 2026, Las Vegas
Why: to back Aaron Ford's run for governor against Joe Lombardo
At stake: around 60,000 casino and hospitality workers' votes
Format: a closed event, open to union members only
Why the Culinary Union matters
The Culinary Union is one of the most influential labour organisations in Nevada. Its roughly 60,000 members work across the state's casinos, hotels and hospitality venues — cooks, housekeepers, bartenders, servers, porters and many more. When a group that size moves together, it can shift a statewide result, which is exactly why campaigns on both sides pay close attention to it.
Harris is visiting several key states on a busy pre-election schedule, and Las Vegas is one of her chosen stops. Prediction markets currently favour Lombardo to keep his seat, but the margins are reportedly narrow enough that a strong turnout among hospitality workers could make an upset possible.
The "Trump Slump" and the cost of living
A large part of the union's frustration is aimed at national economic policy, which members have nicknamed the "Trump Slump". They argue that the President's international policies have put off visitors from neighbouring countries such as Canada and Mexico — markets that matter a great deal to Las Vegas tourism. Fewer foreign guests, the union says, means less work and fewer tips for the people serving them.
On top of that, members point to rising fuel and grocery prices, which hit hardest in a sector that has traditionally been among the lower-paid parts of the economy.
Context: Las Vegas has been watching its visitor numbers and hotel prices closely this year. Strip room rates reportedly dropped 10% year on year in August and 5% in September, which is why tourism-related policy has become a hot campaign issue in Nevada.
Why the union is wary of "No Tax on Tips"
One policy that might look like a gift to hospitality workers has, in fact, drawn criticism from the union: the No Tax on Tips measure. According to the Culinary Union, the rule could end up doing more harm than good. Its main objections are:
- Uneven treatment: some categories of workers benefit while others are left out.
- Immigrant workers: the union argues the rules disadvantage immigrants, who make up a significant share of the hospitality workforce.
- A marriage penalty: the union says the measure's design can leave some married couples worse off.
- A built-in end date: because the measure is temporary, workers who adjust their budgets around it could face a sudden drop in take-home pay when it expires.
The union's case against Governor Lombardo
The union's sharpest criticism, however, is directed at the governor himself. It accuses Lombardo of looking the other way in its long-running dispute with Station Casinos, one of the biggest locals-focused casino operators in Las Vegas.
The union claims that the company unlawfully dismissed workers, treated employees who wanted to unionise unfairly and broke federal labour law. It has filed a class-action lawsuit against the operator to protect its members. These are the union's allegations and have not been decided by a court.
The union also points to political donations. Lombardo is reported to have received around one third of his 2025 campaign funding from the Fertitta family, which owns Station Casinos. According to the reports, this includes $1 million given to a political action committee linked to Lombardo, plus another $1 million donated directly by Station Casinos.
| Issue | The union's position |
|---|---|
| Tourism | National policy is deterring Canadian and Mexican visitors |
| Cost of living | Rising fuel and food prices squeeze lower-paid workers |
| No Tax on Tips | Unequal, temporary and risky for workers in the long run |
| Station Casinos | Alleged labour-law violations; class action filed |
| Campaign money | Questions over the governor's donations from the Fertitta family |
In a statement, the union summed up its stance:
"Culinary Union continues to demand to know why the governor stands with Trump's harmful economic agenda instead of fighting for the working people who run Nevada's economy."
— Culinary Union statement
What to expect from Harris' visit
The event will be closed to the public and limited to union members, as organisers try to rally the rank and file behind Ford. The conversation is expected to focus on how to improve conditions for Nevada's casino and hospitality employees — pay, job security, the right to organise and the cost of everyday life.
For Democrats, energising this workforce could provide a valuable boost ahead of the midterms. For Lombardo, holding on will mean convincing enough voters that his record on the economy and tourism outweighs the union's complaints.
What the race means for the casino industry
Few US states depend on gaming and hospitality as heavily as Nevada. That makes the governor's office unusually important for casino operators and their staff alike. The person in charge helps set the tone on labour relations, tourism promotion, taxes and regulation — all issues that land directly on the gaming floor.
For operators, a stable and predictable business climate is the priority, especially at a time when visitor numbers and room rates are under pressure. For workers, the questions are more personal: whether pay keeps up with prices, whether jobs are secure when tourism dips, and whether employees who want to organise can do so without fear of losing their jobs. The dispute with Station Casinos has turned that last point into a campaign issue in its own right.
Whoever wins in November, the result will shape the relationship between Nevada's casino companies and the tens of thousands of people who work for them for years to come.
In Nevada, the people who deal the cards, pour the drinks and clean the hotel rooms carry real political weight. Harris' visit shows how much Democrats are counting on the Culinary Union's 60,000 members in the governor's race. Whether that support is enough to unseat Joe Lombardo will become clear on election day — but the outcome will matter to everyone who lives and works on the Las Vegas Strip.
