The promise of the American Dream has been shining there for as long as Las Vegas has existed. Hopes for a stable middle-class life are attracting would-be homeowners from California, sun-seekers from the East, and immigrants from all over the world.
But for many voters here, that now feels like a mirage. In a state that relies on hourly workers in the tourism and service industries, many people cannot find an affordable place to live.
The result is cynicism, frustration, and anger, with national repercussions.
Presidential elections have long been shaped by the economic grievances of the depopulated industrial cities of the Midwest.
This year may be the year that the sunbelt version lights up for the first time in decades.
It’s not the withdrawal of steel companies or automakers that is unsettling workers; the long-worsening housing crisis is having the same effect. Many working-class voters say the promises have been broken and are looking for blame. .
In the final weeks of a deadlocked presidential campaign, there’s no better place to observe this restlessness than in the stucco neighborhoods snaking into the desert around Las Vegas. The median home price is $445,000, up more than 50% from five years ago and out of reach for many in an area where median incomes hover around $70,000. No price. In a city where many workers make less than $20 an hour, rent averages $2,000.
Many once-trusted Democrats say the issue has eroded their trust in politicians. In the state’s Democratic heartland, that means turning away from Vice President Kamala Harris.
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