Before casting your ballot:
Democracy works best when communities are informed and engaged.
You work full time.
You pay your bills.
And then your rent jumps another $400.
In Nevada, many renters have few protections from dramatic rent increases or “no cause” lease terminations. Families are forced to choose between housing, medicine, groceries, or childcare.
The real horror story?
People doing everything right and still losing their homes.
It starts small.
Then summer hits.
Electric bills rise while corporations and data centers consume massive amounts of energy across Nevada. Meanwhile, seniors and working families are left wondering if they can afford to keep the AC on during dangerous heat.
The scariest part?
Extreme heat in Nevada is not just uncomfortable. It can be deadly.
Nevada has one of the largest groups of unaffiliated voters in the country.
But during closed primaries, many voters are shut out of helping decide who advances to the general election.
A democracy where people feel unheard?
That’s a horror story for all of us.
Thousands of Nevada families rely on SNAP and food assistance programs to survive.
Yet benefit cuts, rising food costs, and economic uncertainty continue to leave parents skipping meals so their children can eat.
No child should go hungry in one of the wealthiest nations on earth.
Politics today often teaches us to fear one another:
Immigrants.
Poor people.
People who vote differently.
People who look different.
But democracy cannot survive when neighbors become enemies.
As people of faith, we are called to resist fear, uphold human dignity, and seek the common good together.
At Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN), we believe faith calls us not into fear, but into hope, justice, and public life together.
This Election season, let’s confront the real horror stories facing Nevada, and work towards A better Nevada.
Nevada elections are often decided by narrow margins, meaning voter participation truly matters.
Local elections shape:
Democracy works best when communities participate.
Nevada communities continue to face growing mental health challenges, including isolation, addiction, suicide prevention, and lack of accessible care.
Mental health affects every community, every age group, and every family. Yet many still struggle to find affordable and timely support.
Faith communities are often places where people first seek care, hope, and connection.
Public policy decisions help determine whether communities have the resources needed for crisis response, counseling, prevention, and long-term support.
LEAN into 2026 by helping break stigma and supporting mental health advocacy in Nevada.
Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) honors the Indigenous peoples whose homelands are now called Nevada, and the Native communities who continue to shape this state.
Nevada is home to 28 federally recognized Tribes, as well as urban Native communities. The state’s Tribal Nations include the Waší∙šiw (Washoe), Numu (Northern Paiute), Newe (Western Shoshone), Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute), and Pipa Aha Macav (Fort Mojave) peoples. Each Nation has its own history, culture, government, and ongoing relationship with its homelands.
We honor the sovereignty, resilience, and leadership of Nevada’s Tribal Nations and Native communities. May this day call us to listen, learn, and support Indigenous self-determination—not only today, but throughout the year.
