Charging that"socialists" control the Democratic Party he recently left, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee formally announced his Republican conduct for governor of Nevada on Monday
Lee, who changed parties only a month, becomes the first big Republican to launch a campaign to try and defeat Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in the 2022 election.
Lee maintained in a campaign video that"today socialists control the Democratic Party I once knew. Sisolak strangled our economy and liberty. They are following our address, guns and kids. Therefore, like Reagan and Trump, I changed parties."
And spotlighting his personal victory for a cancer survivor, Lee argued that"socialism is a cancer and if we don't fight back, it is going to kill us. And collectively, as Republicans, we'll beat this too."
A moderate Democrat who opposed abortion rights, Lee served in the Nevada Assembly from 1997-2001 and in the state Senate from 2004 before 2012. He's served as mayor of North Las Vegas -- Nevada's third-largest town -- since 2013.
Lee, who runs and owns a plumbing business, touted in his video that"I started a company from the rear of my entire family station wagon and created countless jobs. I was a plumber. You are able to say I have never been afraid to fix a disgusting mess"
Spotlighting his tenure as mayor of North Las Vegas, he highlighted that"I pulled it out of debt and revitalized the city."
While Lee is the first key competitor to launch a GOP effort, it's unlikely he will be the final.
Date Of Update: 17 May 2021, 14:44
