Nevada GOP Leader: ‘Minorities Will Not Turn Out’ to Vote in 2014

Nevada GOP leader also doesn't like that the Democratic Party has such a diverse tent of followers.

By Brentin Mock Sep 26, 2013

There are so many examples of GOP leaders admitting publicly that they count on suppression of voters of color for their victories, from Pennsylvania to Florida. The latest exhibit is Nevada, where GOP assembly leader Pat Hickey told a radio show host on Tuesday that 2014 will be "a great year for Republicans," because "a lot of minorities, a lot of younger people will not turn out in a non-presidential" election year.

Hear the full audio where Hickey explains his low-turnout hopes.

Also in that radio show interview, Hickey derided the Democratic Party for being diverse and inclusive. As reported in HuffPost, Hickey said, "We Republicans look at our Democratic counterparts on the other side. They have the big tent philosophy and have a rainbow stripe on the top of the tent and some nutty characters inside."

The Democratic National Committee responded via their spokesperson Kiara Pesante: 

"With these comments, Pat Hickey is making it even clearer why Republicans across the country are working so hard to restrict voting rights. From North Carolina to Ohio, Republican governors and legislatures are enacting harsh voter ID laws that make it more difficult for seniors, young people and people of color to vote. With the twisted logic that Hickey so prominently put on display, Republicans believe that shutting people out is the best way to grow their party’s influence and win elections. Meanwhile, Democrats are leading the charge to expand voting rights for all eligible voters. The GOP’s tactics didn’t pay off in 2012, and it’s hard to see them paying off in 2014 with this backwards, exclusionary approach."