From Local Kid to Congress—Now He Represents HALF of NV | Inside the Mind of Rep. Steven Horsford

Welcome And Guest Introduction

Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts, Pocky and Chris. We are people who are passionate about business, success, and culture. And this is our platform to showcase the people in our city who are making it happen. And on today's podcast, we got just that, man. I'm excited to sit down with this gentleman. We got a special guest who's a congressman representing Las Vegas on the national stage, uh, but fighting for the local impact. Uh so welcome into the circle, Congressman Stephen Horsford. Thank you. So welcome to the circle, my man. Welcome.

Appreciate uh being on. Thank you to Pocky and uh Chris and to my first appearance on Vegas Circle. I hope it would not be my last.

Horsford’s Story And Why Serve

We appreciate it, man. But shout out to the whole team, man. Ishmael, Carlos. They put this all together. So we appreciate them organizing it. But um let's jump right in, man. So what first pulled you into public service and uh, you know, ultimately becoming a congressman? What pulled you into that space?

Well, look, it's it's really not about the title that I hold today. I I'm a product of this community. I was born and raised here. I'm a son of an immigrant mother who came to the United States when she was just 12 years old from Trinidad.

Okay.

My fo my father, who wasn't in my life, but I knew who he was past when I was 19, he was shot and killed in the community that I grew up in and that I now have the honor of serving, you know, overcame certain obstacles and challenges, not just losing my dad, but some of my mom's challenges that she faced. And I'm the oldest of four, and so I took the reins of my younger siblings and and kind of became the head of the household at an early age. But those experiences helped to define who I am today. It helped define why I got into public service to begin with. And for me, it's not about elected office. I I served the community before I was ever in elected office. I ran the largest job training program, Nevada Partners and the Culinary Training Academy as a CEO for 10 years before I went to Congress. And so to hear you all talking about business and entrepreneurship and how we create opportunity, you know, that's my life's passion. And it's why I make those the cornerstone of the issues that I work on in Congress, because without opportunity, we have nothing.

You're 100% right. I mean, that's honestly why Chris and I, my wife, we started this, is because we felt like we're going on our eighth year now. So this summer will be eight years for us. Congratulations. And I appreciate that. And like Chris and I were talking, we were originally from the Midwest, but this is home for me, right? Like I've been here, it'll be 19 years coming up in May. So you've seen a lot of the changes 100%. In a in a good the good changes.

Another, you know, as you kind of see like the changing dynamic, you being born and raised here, I think that gives you a very different perspective because you've seen some of those challenges from a foundational standpoint, you've seen the growth, the opportunities that's happened, and you just brings out a whole different set of challenges. How important is it you to serve the community and help guiding that, you know, that that growth and how doing it in the right way, a foundational way?

Yeah, well, when I left high school and went to college, I went to the University of Nevada Reno, I said I was never coming back here. Because quite frankly, and a lot of young people say this, we didn't see the opportunity at the time. And for a lot of things, it was all about the adult lifestyle and not so much about where is the hope and the vision and the place for me. And so I thought I was gonna go away and do things and maybe come back, maybe not. And it was during the growth spurt, really, of the late 90s, 1998, 99, into 2000, where Vegas just blew up and we became a big city. It wasn't just the strip, it was the reinvention of kind of who we are as a community. Yes, we are the entertainment and hospitality capital of the world. Now we're becoming the sports capital of the world.

I want food mecca too.

I want us to make a mark in tech. That's something that I'm very passionate in. And so what I had to learn was opportunity is where you make it. No matter where I went, I probably would have sought out that opportunity, but I did have to decide why not my hometown? Why not the place that raised me? Why not come back and give to the community that helped raise me? And that still to this day, you know, has opened so many tremendous doors. And and that's what I want for every person, particularly young person, to know that opportunity is where you make it and where you invest. And yeah, you have to put in hard work and grit. It's not gonna come easy. But when you build a foundation, you can leave a legacy, not just for yourself and your family, but for others to benefit from too.

What A Congressman Actually Does

I agree. Yeah. What at its core, what is a congressman actually responsible for? I was trying to figure this hole and forgive my ignorance, but can you kind of break it down for us of what kind of your day-to-day is?

The question, because some people don't care enough to even ask.

Look, yeah, so I was trying to explain it to my kids. I was like, wait a minute, let me get let me find out from him tonight, and I'll explain it to you.

So my job is to serve the people of Nevada's 4th district. My district is half the state of Nevada. I represent a part of Las Vegas and all of North Las Vegas, the Northwest, but I also serve Central Rural Nevada, Perump, and Tonopah Hawthorne. I go right outside of Reno. I have five tribal communities. So over 750,000 people who are constituents elect me to do a job every two years, which is to be their voice, their advocate, their representative in Congress. That is not just my title. It is my vocation as far as what I'm supposed to do is represent the voice of the people and the concerns that they have told me are their priorities. And so I travel back and forth between Las Vegas and DC. I live here and work there and pretty much have a commute virtually every week. And while I'm there, I'm working to pass or advance policies that help lift up community, that create opportunity for entrepreneurs, that address the housing and affordability crisis that we're facing right now. I have four military installations in my district. So Mentellis and Creech Air Force Base, but also the Nevada Test and Training Range and Hawthorne Army Depot and a lot of other very dynamic and diverse constituencies. And the other part of my job is doing the constituent work right here. And that's where my team, who works hard every single day, are doing outreach, they're engaging, they're opening up cases. So if you're a veteran and you have an issue with the VA, you can call my office and we'll try to get a resolution to your issue. If you are a small business owner trying to get capital loan through the small business administration and you want to know where those resources are, our job is to break through that bureaucracy. I say this all the time. I don't work for the federal government. I work for 750,000 people here in Nevada who elect me to do a job, and that is to get from their government the benefits, the resources, the policy that the people say they want.

Yeah, interesting. I never knew you could reach out directly to uh an office and try to get support like that. That's amazing to know.

Balancing Las Vegas And Rural Nevada

And that's the beautiful thing about Vegas in particular, Nevada, is that our elected officials are pretty accessible compared to other places. And I I'm a community kid. I grew up and was raised here. And so, yeah, you're gonna stop me in the grocery store and talk to me about the price of groceries. Why the hell pack of uh chicken so so much money or at a place of worship or at a local community center? Because one, you if you don't know me, you know that you can always approach me. And whether it's me or members of my staff, I'm always gonna try to listen, to learn, and to lift up the lived experiences of the people that I represent, because that is actually what makes me an effective representative, yeah, is being able to take on the issues that the people really care about.

You know, I gotta ask, you know, one, because obviously Vegas is the population hub of the majority of Nevada or this little uh Las Vegas metro area. But as you're making decisions and you have to think about those other, you know, rural areas and the perimps, and you know, we're making decisions a lot of times they really focus growth in in those more densely populated markets. How do you navigate kind of understanding both of those scenarios as you're making decisions?

So it's a phenomenal question. By listening to people, what I've learned is we all really have a lot of the same concerns. I represent a very working class district here in southern Nevada. Well, you go out into Perump or Tonopah or Hawthorne, they're working class people too. They might be working in mining, they might have a small diner, they may be a nurse, but they have a lot of the similar issues. Two, unfortunately, we're areas that have a lot of underserved needs, whether that's in healthcare, childcare, employment, or workforce development. And so they're like, they want to know how do how did I design one of the most successful job training programs and how could we replicate that in a rural community? I was just out in Mesquite and Mesquite Works, and they're trying to scale a STEM training center. One that we helped develop here in North Las Vegas, now they want to do that same thing in Mesquite.

That's awesome.

In Perrump, you know, we have huge health care shortages. You there is not a birthing center and very limited OBGYN services in Perump. So if you are a family expecting a child, you're probably driving an hour, hour and a half to come see a provider here in southern Nevada. So they're very interested in how we bring those healthcare services. But I learned that by listening to the people and what they say they need and want. And yes, it's very diverse. Yes, some of the constituents out in the rural areas are more conservative. But what I love about it is I when I show up, they're like, oh, you're you're here. You're you care about what you care about us too. Like you're not just focused only on Las Vegas or Southern Nevada. They know that's where I'm from. They know that that's where I'm gonna fight, but my job is to represent all the needs of Nevada's fourth and really the state and the country for that matter. And the more that you show up, you build credibility over time. That again, it's not just on election time, it's not just when you want to promote something, but being able to show up in a consistent way and show people that you really do care.

Housing Costs And Corporate Buyers

That's important, very important. What about this housing reality? It's it's going crazy now. What's your perspective on just the cost of living in Vegas now? And it seems to explode over since the pandemic. What's your perspective on that as far as how can we kind of get it under control so that you know the middle class can do a little bit better with their dollar?

Yeah, so what's so frustrating about this is when I look at home ownership and the affordability of housing, to me it's the American dream, right? It's it's yes, a place where memories are created. Your home is where you spend time with family, it's holidays, it's special moments, and it's also about having protection, right? Having a place to lay your head that's safe and secure. But it's also a place where people generate wealth, it's where you build equity. And I didn't understand that growing up because I didn't have that privilege. But once I was finally in a position to pursue home ownership, it wasn't easy, right? Getting your credit right, making sure that you met all the criteria for down payment, saving the money that was necessary. And even when you got in, you know, the responsibility of owning a home.

Sure.

Right now, the struggle that we're seeing, unfortunately, is these out-of-state corporate hedge funds. They're institutional investors. And I'm not against all forms of investment. I believe in mom and pop, I believe in people being able to acquire more homes. But we have two of the largest residential property owners in southern Nevada. One is a hedge fund out of Texas, and the other is out of New York. And between the two, they own thousands of homes. And they don't buy everywhere, they target certain neighborhoods that are very working-class neighborhoods. They target communities that people are just struggling to get by.

Yeah.

And since you've seen their approach, and what they do is they come in, they pay cash. So they price out.

30-day clothes, and you can't even get in because they outbid.

So they price out the veteran who's trying to use their VA benefit. They price out the family that's trying to, you know, buy their first home or move to a little uh bigger home, or a young person who doesn't even believe they can buy a home anymore. And worse than that, even when they buy these homes and price people out, sometimes they rent them and then they rent them at higher rates, they evict at higher rates, they don't even maintain the properties at the same level, which then lowers the value for everybody else. So I've been on this, I have identified the problem because my constituents brought it to me. I introduced legislation after a series of community forums, and I don't care whose idea it is. Even the president recently posted on True Social that he wanted to crack down on these corporate speculators. And I'm like, great, Mr. President. I sent him a letter and I said, let's work together. Because he said Congress should codify banning these corporate practices that are predatory. And I said, Great, I have a bill to do just that. And that is what I think the people want, regardless of whose idea it is, help solve the problem that I'm facing, which right now is I can't afford to get ahead. One of the biggest expenses that people have is the cost of rent or their mortgage. And then the cost of groceries and utilities. If you have children in childcare or college, and now many of us that are in the sandwich generation, you know, we got elders that we're taking care of and kids. Yeah. And we're squeezed on both ends. That's how that's what I'm feeling right now. That's what you're speaking about. 100%. Yeah, and so we need policies that reflect that reality, that prioritize things that help give relief to working people who are just stri struggling to get ahead. And and more than that, I don't want to just survive in life. Most people don't, right? We want to thrive. We want to be able to breathe. We want to be able to take a vacation or start a business or not just check to check on everything. Not just be check to check. And and because of the dynamics of our city, a lot of our folks live check-to-check, tip to tip. And we need policies at every level, but especially federal level, that center the people who are closest to the pain in the policies that can actually improve their lives. And that that's what I'm attempting to do. I'm not always perfect at it, but it's my pure intention to try to advance policies that lift people up. That's awesome.

Two-Year Terms And Governing Pressure

You know, yeah. So I'm wrong, Congressman, there it's two-year terms, right? Like that's uh so when you have something as ambitious as that, right? And you're something you're passionate about, you're trying to make real changes, but you know, do you have to operate on this kind of a two-year window all the time? Because you never really know what the outcome is going to be. But how do you like stay with that level of focus and put the level of commitment needed, knowing that you have such a d short duration in some instances?

So the hardest part of my job is being a two-year-old, it goes quick. And it's a competitive district, so I'm always seemingly up for re-election in a what is a close cycle. And Nevada is a battleground state with the presidential and the Senate races and the governor's race. And so that puts a lot of pressure on me. And in the House of Representatives right now, we only have a there's only a one-seat difference between Republicans who are in the majority and Democrats. That's the closest margin that we've had in the House in 91 years. Oh wow. I did not know that. Yes, I'm one vote determines whether something passes or doesn't pass. And so to answer the question, Chris, it's like one, it's about not thinking in two-year increments because to solve problems, it takes longer than that. You know, to address housing affordability, to address our health care shortage in the workforce, to improve education and make infrastructure investment, it takes time to see those policies really take hold. But it's like when I was in, I had a small business at one point, and you have to wake up every day saying, What's the hustle today? How do I land this today? How do I close this deal today? How do I bring home a new contract today? And so I hustle. I work hard. I I put my team to work and and to make sure that every single day counts because the people that we are are honored to represent are counting on us to make it count. They don't have the latitude to think in two-year increments. They're thinking, how am I gonna make this month's you know, rent? And how am I gonna make ends meet? And so that really is the urgency that I feel, especially in this moment. I said it recently. This is not a partisan moment that we're in. This is not a talking point moment. We're really in a moral moment. This is not a moment between left versus right, it's right versus wrong and where you stand on critical issues. Yes, economic justice and opportunity, which to me is kind of a North Star, but whether or not we're preserving and protecting our democracy and access to the voting and fair and clean elections, protecting women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions about their body, whether or not we actually have an environment that incentivizes economic opportunity and entrepreneurship, or whether we have rules that burden that. We were just talking about that before you walked in.

Yeah, we we we love it, love all the changes.

Yeah, and yeah, you know, I look growing up here, you didn't want to go downtown. Yeah, it was fabulous. Yeah, Carson and all that. Yeah, but now I to be able to walk business to business and to see the renewal and the renaissance and the rebirth and the ingenuity that some of these businesses have to take an old abandoned building and turn it into something it's awesome. It's incredible.

We we literally were just talking about it before you came in with Carlos. We were saying that I like that, I like the arts district and what we're doing downtown better than the strip. Just because it feels yeah, it feels it's got a better energy, better energy, great value, yeah.

Businesses that cater to local residents. You know, we gotta we gotta address the parking. I agree with y'all. We pretty much Uber when we go down there. Madam Mayor and City Council, I'm gonna be talking to you guys about that issue, but but it's the offerings uh that are happening down there that I think deserve to be promoted. We we gotta get some of those small businesses to come on Vegas to do. They came on, they continue to keep showing them love.

That's the that's literally our our whole goal. Is I I feel like, I mean, look, the the strip obviously is everything. They get all the shine, but that was our whole goal is to put the shine on what people are doing because there's so many successful, cool people that we've built these relationships with that we want to shine and put our fire on it. You know what I mean? Some show them what they're doing. So that's awesome that you're part of that. What's one thing people completely don't understand about holding public office?

One that it is a sacrifice. There's a lot of scrutiny that comes from being in public life and in this environment currently it's intense, it's uh it's toxic, it's more partisan than it needs to be. And, you know, I got in at a time when I was gonna change the world and I had all the hopes and ambitions, and I believed in, you know, with the people there wasn't anything we couldn't achieve. And I I do still believe that, because otherwise I wouldn't be in it, but it's become harder to make those changes.

Yeah.

And now the people are starting to really feel a lot of frustration and resentment and rightful anger at the systems, institutions that they feel like are failing them. Yeah, the the court uh Congress, your elected officials, but everything from the courts and their standing to our schools, to everything in between. And I do think in this moment, again, in a as a moral moment, we have to reflect on how we can re new people's belief.

I'm glad that was actually a question I was gonna ask you about is like is a two-part question. Is how do you not just get pissed off? Because you're human too. And I I don't know if I could handle the I would be like, look, let's step outside, we can talk about it outside, I don't care. But like, how do you keep the human aspect and not lose your cool? Because that's gotta be hard to do as a man. Like, is you know what I mean?

Yeah. You've seen if you've watched me, yeah, while I keep my demeanor, it's not that I do not have moments when I'm ready to go off. Whether it's in committee when we had the trade representative, when the the administration was announcing all these new tariffs, which was no strategy, and the guy who's supposed to oversee that was testifying before us. And I'm like, WTF, like who's in charge? Like, aren't you the guy that's supposed to be controlling us? And do you even know that mirrors even here?

Yeah, all smoking mirrors, yeah.

Or a former member who's not there anymore came to the floor one day, you know, spewing all this hate and division. And I did, I said, meet me back, meet me outside, yeah, right? Because at some point you do have to like stand up for what you believe in.

What you're saying morally. I mean, that's a big that's a big word.

And and I I do I do believe that you cannot force people to think like you.

Agree. Yeah.

And I don't need everyone to agree with me to be civil with them. But if you disrespect the people I represent, then I'm going to fight back because that is part of what people expect.

Yeah.

It doesn't always have to be uh verbal, you know, there are other ways strategically to fight back and to win. And I think more and more we need elected leaders that understand that it takes strategy, that it takes, you know, going into places where traditionally you don't see your congressman going. Yep. I will meet people where they are. You come to the podcast, do a whole different.

I mean, it's hard.

This is where the people are that I want to try to reach them and to know that I'm here fighting for them and that I'm their representative, and they can contact me, and we're here to serve them just like I'm here to serve everybody else.

But like transparency, right? Like, not to put you on the spot, but obviously Jeffrey Epstein's and free everything, right? Like, but how like I guess the biggest question for me is so many powerful people are involved in a lot of this stuff and politics and things along those lines. But we feel like when you when you see their names in there, it's like nothing's gonna happen, it's just gonna be water underneath the bridge. How how can we get to the point where we can hold people accountable on the moral side and hold them accountable in these powerful places? You know what I mean? Because it's kind of frustrating when you don't have that voice and then they can just control a lot of different stuff. So where do we go with with that?

At this moment, it doesn't matter who you are, what position you hold, what party you belong to, if you were anywhere involved in the abuse, the rape, the neglect of young girls and young women as part of anything related to Jeffrey Epstein or anything else, there has to be a reckoning and an accountability. And I would commend our House Democratic members on oversight because they're the ones who pushed for the release of all this information. And because of that, now we have like think over three million documents and videos. The fact that that there's even that much there. And again, no matter what party you belong to, what position you hold, whether it's in government or in business or or whatever, people should be held accountable. And I agree. I think that people are demanding that in this moment, and Congress is going to have to now and into the future continue to expose, to have transparency, and to make sure that there is a process for accountability throughout. Yeah, that's powerful.

Protecting Peace And Staying Human

Yep. How do you protect just your family time and just mental space, man, for what you do? Because the demand of everything. I'm just curious how you balance that.

Yeah. A lot of I my personal time is my piece. So whether it is, you know, getting time, I love to cook.

Okay.

That's my that's my piece.

So what's your go-to? What's your go-to if you cook?

Well, my mom's from Trinidad, so curry curry chicken is okay. My oldest son thinks he can make it better than me now. Okay. I'm like, wait a minute.

Yeah. Gotta show him who's boss.

Yeah. Well, he he actually does do a good job. And I'm like, you didn't put enough hot pepper sauce in the in the res in the recipe. But it is part of my piece because it's the one thing I can do that's just me. Right? No interference, no debate, no anything. It's just me and the and the recipe and the items before me, the ingredients that I'm and I love to watch people enjoy the food that I make.

That's awesome.

I enjoy, you know, getting time to work out. When I can take a break and get a little vacation in, it's a little harder now these days. But those things give me peace. You know, my kids are now older and and college age, and so as long as they're good, I'm typically all right. But but those are the some of the things that give me my my personal space. And I protect it because you know, there is demands on my life and my time, but when it comes to moments that I get, I I preserve it, I protect it, and I make sure that it's even in my calendar. That's all I gotta ask.

Do you actually give vacations? Like, is that part of the job description? Like two weeks off a year?

They they have what we call district work periods. So once a month, we're in district for one week. Some members don't do anything in the districts. I'm all over because I have 50,000 square miles, right? So that's usually when I'm going out into the rural communities, it's where I spend time really doing more community conversations and town halls. And then in the month of August, because DC is so hot, I think traditionally they've always had congressional periods during that month. But even then, we're in our districts, we're learning and listening. We typically have congressional hearings during that time. So you're never really off. Like right now, they're like you're on a 24-hour notice to be called back because we're have this budget impasse around ice right now. And you know, if there is a is a deal that gets reached, we'll have to go back as as quickly as 24 hours.

So you're on essentially you're on call all the time. Yeah. I was gonna ask you that. So you're literally on call 24-7.

It's like a firefighter, right? That's what I was gonna say.

That's what I was saying. Yeah, for real. So for business and life advice, what advice? I know you've owned your own business also. So what advice would you give an entrepreneur who want influence without losing themselves in the process? And I think that's great for you, especially talking about morals.

Well, always know your why, why you're in the work that you're in, regardless of what that is. But for me, my why is the people I represent, never forgetting where I come from, what I'm fighting for, who I'm fighting for. I think for business owners knowing their why, because it gets hard. You know, why am I putting all this blood, sweat, and tears? Why am I putting my own personal capital? You know, even if I get turned down for 10 contracts, how do I stay motivated till I get to that the one that that that we win? And even when you win the contracts, a lot of times in business, it's the the stress of servicing the contracts. It's like starting, starting all over again once you get that contracts. Hiring the team, yeah, making sure you have the right people in place with the right skill set, and that you're building something that you know you want to last beyond just a short period of time. And that is what's so inspiring right now, watching these particularly young entrepreneurs. We were just having a round table yesterday, Senator Booker and I, with a group of young men, and two of them, one's in college, one has a marketing business. And that was a big part of what I wanted to hear from them is what is your why? Why are you doing this? What is the thing that is your passion that wakes you up every morning wanting to be hungry about this? Because the reality is it's not easy at all. And you're gonna get rejection, you're gonna get turned down, you're not gonna get the financing you need. It's not always gonna go your way, but that doesn't mean it's not your purpose. And so sometimes you have to adjust, you gotta be willing to fail. That was the hardest thing for me to understand. I lost one of my elections back in 2014 by 3,000 votes. Wow. It's the closest election. And, you know, I beat myself up after I said, What could I have done differently? And you know, one moment one day I woke up and I said, What's the lesson that I need to learn from this loss? And that is when my whole mindset changed. Because then I started looking for the lesson in the loss, not beating up myself in the loss.

Love that.

And then when I had the opportunity to run to win the district again, all of the lessons that I learned, I applied. One, never take it for granted. Don't take the position, don't take the next election, don't take people, don't take your supporters for granted. Don't assume that everybody knows when the election is. We have a lot of people who are new to politics that don't live and breathe and eat this stuff like I do. So don't assume that everyone knows. And don't be afraid to ask for support. Again, a lot of times you're like, well, of course you knew I was running. Didn't you know I was the best person for the job? Well, you didn't ask me.

You got a humble spoonful. Yeah, yeah.

Some people didn't ask me for my support. I didn't know that you needed it. I didn't know that it was such a close election. So all of those things helped inform what I do and what I did in order to win. And I think it applies a lot in business. Don't don't take your customers for granted.

I agree.

Don't assume they know what your product is or the next sale or promotion is, you know, as you all continue to grow, yeah, make sure that people know what it is you're offering and sure why they should take advantage and benefit from it.

Jesse Jackson Voting Rights Economic Justice

That's awesome. Yep. With Jesse Jackson passing today, I'm curious what was, you know, my shout outs to his family and everything. What any perspective from him that you've learned in life and and and also uh being a public office?

Well, I've had the pr privilege of meeting with and getting to know and learning from great leaders. And Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. is definitely um among those leaders, John Lewis and other giants of the civil rights era. And you know when I woke up this morning to the news and we knew that he was ill and I served with one of his sons, and we had been in contact with the family prior and had done everything to prepare for this moment. But you never fully prepare for the loss of an individual, but I do know this he will expect us to carry on his legacy. And that is one because he he joined us at the Edmund Pettus Bridge march, the march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which again John Lewis helped organize where people were beaten, bled, and some even died, right? For our most fundamental right, which is our right to vote. And the last time I was with Reverend Jackson was at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Wow. He was in a wheelchair and he marched with us over that bridge. And to think back over our ancestry and the people who had who have given so much for freedoms that some of us take for granted. You know, what's the point? Why should I vote? Nothing changes, the parties are the same, they never do anything. That may be true, but that doesn't take away our civic responsibility as individuals to do our part. And I do feel a very strong obligation right now because we're now in a generation where we have to take up that mantle of justice. It gets passed from generation to generation. And it's our generation's turn to take up that mantle. So, yes, we're gonna honor the legacy, the life of Reverend Jackson, but I think the most important way that we can do that is to carry on the work. And the work is is more necessary now than ever. I never would you ever imagine that we would be fighting over whether or not the voting rights act should be renewed or not?

In 2026. In 2026, unreal.

Whether or not there'll be the literally Supreme Court's probably gonna make a decision by June whether or not to maintain those protections or representation of of members of Congress. There's a decision to weaken the Civil Rights Act. Things that in my lifetime I never thought we would have to would be upended, I should say. But now it's our generation's turn. But beyond civil rights and voting rights, we also have to advance economic justice. Because we can't say we are for opportunity if that opportunity isn't inclusive for everyone. And today in America, with the income gap as wide as it is, where the average family at the top makes$244,000, or their net worth, I should say, is$244,000. And uh those that are on the bottom rung are lucky to have$20 or$30,000 of net worth. And it's just widening and widening and widening, and it's really about these big corporations and billionaires getting more and more of the benefit on the backs of people, working people, right? And it's I'm not against success. I I I I wish everybody could make as much money as they wanted to make. But that doesn't make mean we don't have some obligation to do our part, to pay our share, to make sure that there are investments there for the next person to come behind us. And I do think that this moment requires us to have those very not just tough conversations, but to take action on those issues that people fundamentally think are unfair because they're like, wait, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. Yeah, I'm playing by the rules, I'm working my ass off, I'm trying to take care of my kids, and I'm just getting squeezed from every direction.

That's what I hear. I hear from a lot of people what you just said. Exactly what you just said is it's tough.

And businesses, entrepreneurs, they're feeling it too because the benefit isn't directed at them the same way.

Vegas Favorites Nevada’s Political Future

Well, you get medical tax, everything's going up. So the overhead, I mean, it's they're kicking, they like you said, they're getting their ass kicked and running a business. So, and everybody's coming to Vegas because the taxes are good, so it's very competitive. So that's interesting. I'm loving that you're saying that. I can talk to you for hours. I know, I'll transition it out. Food's big for me. I'm a big foodie man, especially you being from Vegas, man. We got we gotta ask you this question. What's your favorite restaurant in Vegas?

Oh, wow. So I love right now Esther's, of course. That's great. Yeah, Esther is. Well, Ada's is now in downtown again. Oh, Ada's is not it was in downtown someone.

Or it was in Tivoli.

It was in Tivoli, you're right. And they just moved in next door to Esther's. Okay. I love a good herbs and rye.

Herbs and Rise. Yeah.

I enjoy I enjoy different cuisine and food, you know, obviously Takatarian. We just had her on. Regina. We just have Regeta on the show. She was a small business of the year. Regita's awesome. Yeah. She's awesome. Yeah. And but nothing beats my home cooking. Okay. Shout out to that.

Yeah. Shout out to that. One of my close friends, Chris Downs, is from Trinidad. So I'm about to find out your food's really good, man, because we eat with him all the time.

Do they have any Trinidad spots in Vegas?

Not as many, man. Not as many.

They do Caribbean, but not like Trinity Trini. We don't have any roti shops that I know of. I'm sure somebody will be like, yes, we do.

So what's next for you? Are you gonna be is is is presidency down the road for you? Not not at all.

You know, Congress wasn't on my list. I didn't come into public service to run for office. That that's the thing. And I hate sometimes because I think people assume, oh, you always plan to do this. Yeah, you the this was a master plan or something. I just wanted to serve. I wanted to give back. And because I had worked in the community, I saw the needs very firsthand. And I've lived a lot of the issues myself and in my family. And I'm like, why not me? Why not run? You know, you you see the problems, why not work to offer the solutions?

Yeah.

As long as I can be constructive towards making people's lives better, then I will continue to serve and and serve in whatever capacity the people put me in. Because that's ultimately what this is all about. They decide.

So you heard it here first, you're gonna run for president. We don't keep putting that in the air, man. But that's powerful.

What I am gonna do is make sure no matter who the next president is, yeah, that they come to Nevada, that they listen to the people, get them on our show, learn from us, get them on our show. Because you know, Nevada's now in play to become first in the nation in the presidential primary process. So over the years that went to Iowa, now it's South Carolina. Well, now it's likely gonna change, and Nevada could very well become first in the nation. So just think of that for a moment.

Yes.

Every presidential or every candidate who wants to be the next president in 2028 has to come through Vegas, has to come to Nevada, has to meet people where they are, has to go back of the house at the hotels to talk to tip workers or you know, go on the job site to the carpenters or the IBEW. They have to come on Vegas Circle and talk about what they stand for.

Yeah.

And I do want our people to have a voice in that process to lay out what that agenda should look for, look like. Because I will say this I'm tired of just being against Donald Trump. I'm tired of us as a party largely being against something and not being able to say what we're for. And if I'm gonna spend my energy doing anything, it's making sure that we have as much effort going into what we stand for and what we're fighting for and who we're fighting for, than what we fight against. And it's time out for just being against this administration. There's some things I fundamentally do not agree with them on, but that doesn't mean that I have to spend all my time and energy being against it because that takes away the effort that I could be advancing to build something that's bigger than any one person or any one office. And when you center the people in who are closest to the pain of the policy, that to me is how you build long-lasting change. Yeah. And that's something we haven't done. So I'm not saying I'm running for president, but I am running to make sure that we have the people's voice centering on these issues, no matter who the next president becomes.

How To Reach Horsford Closing

I love that you're focusing on it. And you said something else that you said you would work with him. You know what I mean? Work with Trump on whatever it is. So that that tells you a lot, you know. So I applaud what you're doing, man. It's powerful. It's it's listening to you, it's gotta be stressful as hell, man. I don't know how you do it, man. But I I salute how you're doing, and again, appreciate your team for connecting us. Thank you. Got an event coming up. Shout out to Frank Mill in the building, ATL in the building. But we got an event coming up Beyond the Game that I mentioned to you with Morris Jackson, Ron Johnson, and uh Ricardo Laguna, the 20th and 21st. But uh, where can people reach out to you at on your social handles and all that stuff?

Everything is at rep horseford, at rep horseford, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and of course at our website at horseford.house.gov. They can Call me at 702-963-9360. We believe in being open, accessible, and approachable. And whether it's me or members of our team, we also try to be very responsive. Because, you know, if you take the time to reach out to us, then we have to take the time to pay to make sure we answer the call.

Well, we appreciate you, Congressman. Uh check us out at Vegascircle.com and uh subscribe with us, man. Appreciate your time, sir. Thank you.

Thank you very much for having me on. Yeah, appreciate it. That was really fantastic. Great stuff. That's really good, man. You got my vote. Yes.