DNC convention speakers: What to know about Catherine Cortez Masto

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Struggling Nevada economy could help determine 2020 presidential election

The economic downturn in Nevada might prove to be a silver lining for President Donald Trump in a state that he narrowly lost in 2016 to Hillary Clinton.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto will be on a slate of speakers who will speak at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Monday night.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Cortez Masto is a first-term senator representing Nevada. In November 2016, she made history by becoming the first woman from Nevada and the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate.

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Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had recruited the former prosecutor to run for his seat in 2016 when he retired.

Prior to her time in the Senate, she served as Nevada's attorney general for two terms. Just before her eight-year stint as the state's top prosecutor, Cortez Masto was a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.

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U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) speaks during the event in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Although Cortez Masto had said in a statement that she supports the former vice president, she made it clear that she was not interested in joining the presidential ticket and that her focus needed to be in the Senate.

At the time, she noted that Nevada’s economy is one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus. As a result, she said her focus will remain on getting Nevada residents back on their feet.

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“My fight is in the Senate, on behalf of the state of Nevada, and that’s my commitment. I can’t walk away from that right now,” she said.

The 56-year-old was one of more than 10 women whose names had been suggested as possible running mates for Biden. Some activists suggested she could have helped Biden win over Hispanic voters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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