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She Can't Vote, but 2020 Democrats Want Her Support Anyway

Associated Press

   LAS VEGAS - One of the most sought-after presidential endorsements in a
   key early-voting state is from a woman who cannot vote.

   As Democrats jockey for support in Nevada, a meeting with Astrid Silva,
   a 31-year-old immigrant rights activist who has become a public face of
   the Dreamers, is a can't-miss early stop.

   Silva has had dinner with Kamala Harris, policy roundtables with
   Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden, and vegan tamales with Cory Booker.
   Just this week, after Pete Buttigieg noticed she attended Supreme Court
   arguments on the program shielding her from deportation, the candidate
   called to make sure she knew he supported her cause.

   "Presidential wannabes, when they come here -- I don't know a single
   one that hasn't met with her," said Harry Reid, the former U.S. Senate
   Majority Leader, who helped elevate Silva's profile during his push for
   immigration reform. "There's no question in my mind that candidates are
   well served to visit with her."

   Power of Latino voters

   Silva's busy calendar highlights the power of Latino voters in Nevada,
   the third state on Democrats' primary calendar. The state has a large
   immigrant community, and Latinos account for roughly 19% of the
   electorate, according to the Pew Research Center. Many of those voters
   are Democrats, making Nevada's contest a critical test of the
   candidates' appeal among a group with rising political power in the
   party.

   While immigration has taken a back seat to health care and impeachment
   in the national primary debate, it remains on the forefront for Nevada
   Democrats, many of whom want candidates to have a plan to permanently
   protect Dreamers and offer a path to citizenship, among a host of other
   changes.

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