Boulder City’s annual Fourth of July “Damboree” on Tuesday had its usual share of parade participation and pancake preparation — but the political persuasion at the event wasn’t as palpable as in past years.

No presidential candidates attended the event, and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) was the only statewide elected official in attendance. Other candidates who walked the parade route included Stephanie Phillips, a Las Vegas Republican who is challenging Rosen, and three Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Dina Titus to represent Nevada’s 1st Congressional District, where Boulder City is located: businessman Ron Quince, restaurateur Flemming Larsen and veteran Mark Robertson, who lost to Titus last year by 5.6 percentage points. Titus supporters also marched in the parade.

The lack of political jockeying from statewide and national candidates is a far cry from recent years. Four years ago — the last time a presidential election was 16 months away — U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Massachusetts) took part in the Damboree while running for president. Supporters of then-candidates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders also attended the event. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar walked down the parade route last year.

“Our system is about democracy and knowing people, so I think it's a great place [for candidates],” said Alan Goya, 68, a longtime Boulder City resident who rode on a float with his wife, Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya.

Presidential candidates have for the most part stayed away from Nevada this election cycle, despite the Silver State tied for second in the Democratic primary calendar and third in the GOP schedule. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the only declared candidate to visit the state so far, attending the Basque Fry in Northern Nevada last month. By Independence Day in 2015, presidential candidates had held more than 21 events in Nevada, though none participated in the Damboree.

Nevadans flocked to the Damboree on Tuesday, which is named for the nearby Hoover Dam. Following a two-hour breakfast, hosted by the Rotary Club of Boulder City, which served pancakes, sausage and juice, more than 75 groups paraded down streets near Boulder City’s grassy Bicentennial Park.

Some local political groups, including Boulder City Republican Women and the Clark County Republican Party, rode along the parade route. Other politicians at the event included Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-Las Vegas) and Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant (R-Las Vegas).

Phillips, the GOP challenger for Rosen’s seat, told The Nevada Independent that the Damboree was an opportunity to meet voters. She said she was motivated to run after the pandemic shut down the economy and officials imposed vaccine mandates. She also decried government spending and “what they’re doing to the kids,” a reference to right-wing backlash over transgender rights and discussions about gender in schools.

Rosen, meanwhile, is running on her record in her first term as senator. In an interview, she spoke about “taking care of Nevada families,” such as by helping cap monthly insulin prices at $35 for Medicare beneficiaries as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

“It's a happy day to come out to be part of the parade, to eat pancakes, just to relax with your family,” Rosen said of the Damboree, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.

Attendees said the Damboree is not an inherently political event — it’s instead a chance for people, including politicians, to come together — but politics seemed to be on some people’s minds.

Parade watchers wore shirts with phrases including “MAGA” — a nod to former president Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan — and Let’s Go Brandon, a slogan that Republicans have adopted to rally against President Joe Biden. Social issues were also evident, as one woman wore a shirt that said “Make America Unoffendable Again.” Boulder City has a Republican mayor, Joe Hardy, who has served as a state senator and assemblyman.

Stuart Ripplinger was wearing a shirt supporting DeSantis for president. He described Trump as a “petulant child” who could not beat Biden. He also chastised Rosen but appreciated that politicians from both parties could come to the Damboree.

“For people to be able to come here on the Democratic side, who are obviously in this town are not in the majority, to feel comfortable and we can all just interact here without any animosity or acrimony is a good thing,” the 40-year-old business owner said.