MEMO: The Case Against Republican Cresent Hardy
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Barb Solish, Regional Press Secretary
DATE: June 14, 2016
Tonight’s Nevada primary results mark the beginning of the general election race for Nevada’s 4th Congressional district, where State Senator Ruben Kihuen will face Trump Republican Congressman Cresent Hardy.
Hardy was facing an uphill battle in his reelection bid from the very start, but his extreme voting record in Congress and his full-throated endorsement of his party’s toxic presidential nominee Donald Trump have only made matters worse for the first-term incumbent. In contrast, Ruben Kihuen will continue to focus on expanding the middle class, making college more affordable, and fighting for comprehensive immigration reform.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report: Toss-up/Tilt Democrat
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Leans Democratic
The Cook Political Report: Lean D
“…[Hardy] begins the 2016 cycle as the most vulnerable Republican in the country…”
– Cook Political Report [4/06/16]
One of the “10 Most Vulnerable House Members” – Roll Call [11/06/15]
TRUMP REPUBLICAN
Hardy embraced Trump long before he was even the Republican nominee and refuses to denounce Trump’s disrespectful comments, saying “His tone doesn’t bother me… He’s speaking the truth.”
Hardy’s endorsement of Trump makes sense: Before Trump launched his divisive campaign, offensive rhetoric was Hardy’s trademark.
Even after Cliven Bundy made racist comments questioning if African Americans were “better off as slaves, picking cotton,” Hardy stood by him. Hardy went so far as to refer to people with disabilities as “a drain on society” and instead of apologizing for his hurtful remarks, he suggested his words were “manipulated.”
Trump now defines everything for House Republicans like Hardy, particularly thanks to Speaker Paul Ryan’s recent Trump endorsement. Especially in presidential years, the top of the ticket defines down-ballot races, and that will be especially true this year for Hardy, given Donald Trump’s willingness to be provocative and offensive on a daily basis.
In addition to having to answer for Trump’s wildly offensive comments about Latinos, Hardy is now the face of the Republican Party brand that is toxic to voters in a diverse district that voted for President Obama in both 2008 and 2012.
Past data predicts increased turnout in Nevada’s 4th district this presidential year, particularly among women and Latinos, which favors Democrats. Trump’s historically unpopular candidacy may well accelerate this trend, further imperiling Hardy’s reelection chances.
Donald Trump continues to have astronomically high disapproval ratings among Latinos, who make up almost 30 percent of the 4th District’s population. This spells trouble for Hardy, whose name will appear on the same ballot as Trump in this Democratic-leaning district.
TOO EXTREME FOR SOUTHERN NEVADA
Right-Wing Republican
When Hardy got to Washington, he fell right in line with his Republican leadership, instead of standing up for Southern Nevada. He has voted with extreme House Republicans a whopping 96.2% of the time. Eager to please Paul Ryan, Hardy voted in favor of the House Republican budget, which is best known for slashing Pell Grants, turning Medicare into a voucher system, and cutting job training and housing assistance. Voters in the 4th District deserve better than a lackey for House Republicans’ right-wing agenda.
Anti-Women Record
Hardy has aligned himself with the far-right wing of his Republican Party, which has consistently failed women. Despite the essential health care services Planned Parenthood provides Nevada women and men, Hardy has voted to defund Planned Parenthood several times, and he voted to establish House Republicans’ Select Committee to Attack Women’s Health. Putting him squarely in the far right corner of his party, Hardy supports a bill that could ban common forms of birth control like the pill. Unsurprisingly, National Right to Life endorsed Hardy, who responded by proclaiming, “I would work … to end the practice of abortion in our country” without noting any exceptions. This November, Southern Nevadans will be anxious to replace Hardy with a representative who will fight for women’s reproductive healthcare.
Anti-Immigrant Record
On immigration, Hardy sounds a lot like another anti-immigrant Republican running this year. Hardy voted for a Trump-inspired amicus brief encouraging the Supreme Court to rule against President Obama’s DACA and DAPA immigration actions. If Hardy gets his way, hardworking immigrant families could be torn apart, affecting more than 19,000 young immigrants in Nevada eligible for DACA. And even before Trump was setting the Republican agenda, Hardy was sponsoring bills in the Nevada legislature similar to Arizona’s SB1070 that many argued allowed law enforcement to engage in racial profiling. Nevada voters will undoubtedly hold Hardy accountable for these hardline immigration stances in the voting booth.
CONCLUSION
Nevada’s 4th Congressional District is a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats – with 30,400 more registered Democrats than Republicans – and Ruben Kihuen stands ready to replace Cresent Hardy’s right-wing Trump agenda with one that will give Southern Nevada families the opportunity to succeed.