The Culinary Workers Union Local 226, Nevada’s largest and most influential labor organization, represents 60,000 hospitality workers, primarily in Las Vegas casinos and resorts. Renowned for its political operation, the union influences elections through voter mobilization, including mail ballot collection, ballot curing, and get-out-the-vote initiatives that increase Democrat turnout. In the 2020 presidential and senate elections, their multi-million-dollar campaigns helped secure victories for Joe Biden (D) and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D), with over 70% turnout among union members contributing to Nevada's narrow Democratic Party wins. Similarly, in the 2022 midterms, their targeted operations were pivotal in Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto's (D) tight reelection to the U.S. Senate by less than 1%, flipping the race amid high hospitality worker participation; their 2024 efforts sustained this momentum, aiding Democrats in holding congressional seats like Rep. Susie Lee's (D) amid national Republican gains.
