Donatelli says GOP needs to hold down margins in Clark County

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Nevada is shaping up to be a close contest and the GOP’s ability to hold the state come November may ultimately come down to its ability to cut its losses in one key county, a top Republican Party official said today.

“It’s a very, very closely contested state,” Republican National Committee chair Frank Donatelli told PolitickerNV.com in an interview. “The basic book in Nevada is to hold your margin down in Clark County and win the rest of the state. In a nutshell that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Clark County, which includes the city of Las Vegas and its suburbs, has been at a steady uptick in voter registration – with Democrats on the benefitting end. In July, the county had about 800,000 registered voters with Democrats maintaining a 60,000 voter edge. One year later, there are over 900,000 voters on the rolls and Democrats had a plurality of about 110,000.

Donatelli noted that the Silver State, broadly speaking, is growing in registration. Over the past year the state’s roll has grown by 100,000 voters. Voter registration figures show Democrats adding about 60,000 voters to the rolls and Republicans adding more than 10,000.

“It’s a growing state, a fast-growing state. Identifying voters and turning them on is an important part of our strategy,” Donatelli said.

Politicker.com’s Pindell Report ranks Nevada as the most competitive presidential battleground state in the country.