Since then, Sandoval has found himself somewhat lonely on the Republican stage—which is ironic, perhaps, for a handsome, hugely popular Latino star in a party eager to showcase its Hispanic credentials, a man who has been leading a state that has been thoroughly combed for months by Republican presidential candidates ahead of the Nevada caucuses on Tuesday. Only a week ago in South Carolina, the endorsement of another high-wattage GOP star, Nikki Haley, was huge news and may well have turned the tide of the race—or at least driven Jeb Bush out when Haley crushed his hopes by endorsing his rival Marco Rubio.
But the courting of Sandoval, if you can call it that, has been a far more subtle affair for the GOP presidential candidates. He is in the unenviable position of being seen as an ideological apostate who simultaneously boasts approval ratings in the high-to-mid 60s. When the general election comes, Sandoval’s endorsement will be desperately needed; Democrats privately fear he could be a potent weapon to drive Latino and Hispanic turnout. But in an unpredictable and highly partisan GOP caucus, with many conservative Republicans alleging betrayal by Sandoval over his historic tax hike and threatening revolt, the endorsement of the Nevada governor is seen as more of a headache than a helpmate. And no one is quite sure what to do about him.
“There’s way more opposition to the governor within the Republican legislative caucus than the Democratic one,” says David Damore, a professor of political science at UNLV. “He’s by far the most popular political figure in the state … yet it’s this unspoken part of the caucuses on the Republican side” that the presidential candidates need to keep their distance. Unspoken seems about right: In dozens of events in the 72-hour period leading up to the caucuses, hardly any candidate has mentioned Sandoval, a feat that would be difficult to imagine in South Carolina or Iowa, both primary states with (far less popular) Republican governors.
Sandoval’s problems aren’t exactly unique: John Kasich, a friend of the governor’s, likes to tout his centrist agenda in Ohio. But even compared to Kasich, Sandoval’s record wouldn't be easy to embrace if you're running for president. The tax increases Sandoval signed have since funded a landmark overhaul in public education—likely to become his signature achievement and a bold gamble meant to turn around what is frequently ranked the worst state education system in the country. Yet education is simply the most recent of a long list of Sandoval’s conservative heresies: The abortion rights governor has embraced Obamacare; lauded immigration reform and DREAMers; fiercely championed renewable energy; and taken lesser known actions on police body cameras, driver’s licenses for undocumented aliens and multiple moves to squelch Republican-led tort reform.
