Former Assemblyman Wendell Williams, Former Assemblyman Gene Collins, Southern Nevada Leaders Endorse Kamala Harris
“As president, Kamala Harris will fight for justice in all forms, including economic justice, racial justice, criminal justice, and social justice.”
Today, Kamala Harris is being endorsed by former Nevada Assemblymen Wendell Williams and Gene Collins, African American community leaders Robert “Twix” Taylor, and former senior aide for Sen. Harry Reid, Bill Marion. Former Assemblymen Williams and Collins are strong advocates for the African-American community in Las Vegas, fighting for equality and fairness throughout their careers.
In the Nevada Assembly, Williams was a champion for all Nevadans. He created the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday banquet and parade. Former Assemblyman Collins championed caucuses that improved the life of Nevadans and is the former president of the Las Vegas NAACP, where he advocated for the equal treatment of all Nevadans. Taylor is a Las Vegas business owner, with barber shops all throughout the city, and an African American community leader. Marion is former senior aide for Sen. Harry Reid and current principal at Purdue Marion & Associates.
“The 2020 election is the most consequential election for all Americans in our lifetime. During these times of turbulence and uncertainty, we need a leader who can right the ship and deliver justice for the American people,” said former Assemblyman Wendell Williams. “Senator Harris is the candidate with the vision and insight to see us through, and I’m proud to endorse her for president.”
“As a former assemblyman and former president of NAACP and advocate for the African-American community in Las Vegas, I know we need our next president to be a fearless champion for our community. We need someone who has been with us from the beginning, fighting the systemic racial inequities that hold our community back. That person is Sen. Kamala Harris,” said Gene Collins, former Assemblyman and president of Las Vegas NAACP. “As a black woman, Kamala Harris has the lived experiences that our community faces every day -- she didn’t have to be taught about the challenges we faced. As president, Kamala Harris will fight for justice in all forms, including economic justice, racial justice, criminal justice, and social justice.”
"As a business leader in Las Vegas, I have interacted with hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who have come through my barber shops throughout the years. I have heard their concerns and the issues keeping them up at night -- from a criminal justice system that targets them because of their skin color to the struggles to achieve homeownership,” said Robert “Twix” Taylor, Las Vegas business owner and African American leader. “After meeting Sen. Kamala Harris and welcoming Rep. Barbara Lee to my barber shop to campaign on Sen. Harris' behalf, it is clear to me that Kamala Harris is the candidate who will fight for justice for our community. She will bring justice so we have a fair and equal playing field. I am proud to endorse Kamala Harris today."
“Kamala has an impressive political record of beating the odds,” said Bill Marion, principal at Purdue Marion & Associates and former senior aide for Sen. Harry Reid. “She is compassionate and strong, progressive and responsible. I think she embodies the best of America and speaks to the values of equality and opportunity that we should all aspire to.”
Nevadans endorsing Kamala Harris today:
• Wendell Williams, former Nevada Assemblyman
• Gene Collins, former Nevada Assemblyman
• Robert “Twix” Taylor, Las Vegas business owner and African American leader
• Bill Marion, principal at Purdue Marion & Associates and former senior aide for Sen. Harry Reid
Nevadans who have previously endorsed Kamala Harris:
• State Sen. Pat Spearman
• State Sen. Joyce Woodhouse
• State Sen. Melanie Scheible
• Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui
• Washoe County Recorder Kalie Work
• Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones
• Las Vegas City Councilman Brian Knudsen
• Helen Foley, former Nevada State Senator
• Michon Martin, President of R&R Partners and former Deputy District Attorney in San Francisco
• Francisco Aguilar, Las Vegas attorney and entrepreneur
• Nancy Ayala, Las Vegas attorney
• Brian Ayala, Las Vegas small business owner
• Atiya Boddie, Las Vegas attorney and Emerge Nevada alumna
• Blake Boles, Army combat veteran
• Angelica Cervantes, mother of 1 October victim and gun violence activist
• Alex Dixon, former president of the Las Vegas Urban League Young Professionals
• Tanya Flanagan, African-American community leader and fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. sister
• Coralin Glerum, North Tahoe Dems Chair
• Rev. Leonard Jackson, African-American community leader
• Li’Shey Johnson, 1 October survivor and gun violence advocate
• LeVerne Kelly, African-American community leader and member of Links Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Bryce Krausman, small business owner
• Kurt Kuznicki, conservationist and public lands advocate
• Jennifer M. López, community advocate
• Joanie Lung, APIA community leader and small business owner
• Alan Mandell, Native American leader from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
• Rose McKinney James, clean energy leader
• Chris Miller, former chairman of the Clark County Democratic Party
• Lesley Miller, former board member of Nevadans for Background Checks
• Stephanie Pizzoferrato, public school teacher and gun violence survivor
• Bishop Bonnie Radden, faith leader
• Eddie Ramos, President of Club Migrantes de Uruapan and Vice President of Fuerza Inmigrante (formerly COPAN)
• Jose Rosas, President of Federación de Poblanos en Las Vegas
• Areli Sanchez, Latinx community activist
• Sanje Sedera, founder and former president of the Asian American & Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus
• Janet Serial, chair of the Black Caucus of Washoe County and fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. sister
• Andrew Sierra, former College of Southern Nevada student body president
• Larry Smith, founder and CEO of GFive Cultivation in Las Vegas
• Carissa Snedeker, former first vice chair of the Democratic Party of Washoe County
• Al B Sure, R&B singer and songwriter
• Nelly Tobon, Latinx community activist
