Nevada saw a landslide victory in its Democratic primary this week for a state lawmaker who says she was targeted by Southwest Gas and other groups for promoting climate-change legislation.

Assemblywoman Lesley Cohen, D-Henderson, won the primary with about 70% of the vote. Southwest Gas contributed $10,000 to her primary opponent, Joe Dalia, after Cohen sponsored a bill last year requiring that energy planning be aligned with the state's climate goals. The group Nevadans for Economic Opportunity (NEO) paid for mailers attacking Cohen.

"They have a lot of money that they can deploy in small races where very few voters are paying attention to the fact that they're deploying this money, so that's concerning for reformers," said Kenneth Miller, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas who is an expert on money in politics. "The good news is that there's not a lot of evidence that that money, when it's spent, influences voters very much."

The Retail Association of Nevada, which funds NEO, also has contributed to the Dalia campaign. Dalia had no comment. NEO and Southwest Gas also did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

While this kind of political activity isn't illegal, said Matt Kasper, deputy director of the Energy and Policy Institute, which published an investigation into this race, it undermines the democratic process.

"It's unfair when you have a 'dark money' entity do these types of actions in political races," he said. "It confuses voters, it gives them misinformation; voters aren't able to see who is always behind these types of campaigns."

Cohen said she's now bracing for further opposition as she competes in the general election.

"These are groups that endorsed Donald Trump, and then they're coming after me in a Democratic primary," she said. "I worry that this is sending a chilling message to legislators, because if the coalition against me is successful, it's basically telling legislators, 'Get in line or we'll take you out.'"

Cohen's Assembly Bill 380 ultimately failed. It would have given the Public Utilities Commission more oversight over Southwest Gas and would have required the gas company to justify any expansion of natural gas, given the state's goal of "net-zero" emissions by 2050.

Coming off a string of controversial opinions, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a case tied to oversight of federal elections. That has pro-democracy groups worried.

The case stems from North Carolina, where Republicans want a ruling from that state's high court tossed out. It had to do with a map of political boundaries drawn by the GOP that opponents say was gerrymandered.

Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera - executive director of the non-partisan Common Cause Minnesota - said even though that case involves redistricting, there are broader implications as these Republicans seek to diminish the role of state constitutions in elections.

"Mail-in ballot deadlines can be impacted," said Belladonna-Carrera. "Election schedules and processes are impacted by this."

She said while Minnesota has enjoyed strong voter-access policies, along with high turnout in elections, there are some conservative lawmakers here who have pushed for restrictive laws.

The current balance of power in state government has prevented such proposals from advancing.

Meanwhile, the plaintiffs say the Constitution's elections clause bolsters their argument.

Belladonna-Carrera said Minnesota might not align with other states where "bad-actors" have tried to influence election procedures. But she said she feels a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs would produce more chatter here and elsewhere about testing the so-called "independent state legislature" theory.

"I think that what we're seeing is part of a broader attack on an inclusive democracy, right?" said Belladonna-Carrera. "It's part of that power grab that has devastating consequences."

To counteract that, she said Minnesota has an extensive non-partisan movement to spur voter engagement and showcase fair elections. Arguments in the Supreme Court case are expected in October.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

It's July 4th, a celebration of the United States' independence. It's also an opportunity to take a look at the state of the country's democracy.

This is a midterm election year, but many are still focused on the 2020 election, which some have claimed - without evidence - was "stolen."

Alicia Abbott, a program outreach coordinator with the Idaho 97 Project, said one unfortunate side effect of rampant misinformation is that some voters have tuned out.

"We've let misinformation about election results and public health run amok," said Abbott. "And now, we are living in an era where people are very apathetic; they are overwhelmed with how much contention there is in the scorched-earth politics."

The Idaho 97 Project formed in 2020 in response to contentious public health meetings about COVID-19 in order to combat disinformation about the pandemic.

According to a recent Yahoo survey, nearly 60% of Americans think the U.S. is becoming a less democratic country.

Abbott said Idaho is no stranger to extremism. She said it's a bellwether for some of the extreme tactics, especially at local government meetings, that have spread across the country.

So, she said she's also convinced it can serve as model for how to push back against these anti-democratic forces.

"So, we all need to be very vigilant about recognizing dog whistles and conspiracy theories," said Abbott. "And really holding our elected officials accountable when they're repeating and forwarding disinformation."

As the congressional hearing on the January 6 insurrection continues, Abbott said she's been struck by the way election officials in some states were treated in 2020.

She said one thing Idahoans can do to help defend democracy is support these officials.

"Stand up for those public servants who are coming forward and ensuring that our political process is safe and secure," said Abbott. "We cannot continue to allow our public servants to be attacked the way they have been."

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

July 4th celebrates the founding of the United States' democracy - and some say it's time to recommit to defending that democracy.

In the wake of the "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was stolen, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, folks like Nancy Leifer - president of the League of Women Voters of Montana board of directors - concerned about the state of the country's representative government.

She said in Montana, there's also been talk that elections can't be trusted.

"There's absolutely nothing going on here that warrants that," said Leifer. "It's just this narrative that these folks have come up with who don't want to admit that the views that they have are not well supported by the majority of Americans."

Voter fraud is very rare in the United States. In January, two women who are citizens of the Philippines voted in a Montana election and were subsequently arrested.

Before that, the Heritage Foundation database of election fraud stretching back to 1979 shows just one conviction in Montana for fraudulent use of absentee ballots.

However, Leifer said the Montana Legislature passed a number of laws that restrict access to voting based on the false narrative of widespread election fraud.

That includes getting rid of same-day voter registration, which she said is especially important for Native American voters who may only be able to make one trip to the polls.

"The other I.D. law specifically targeted students," said Leifer, "who are unable to come up with the right I.D. information now because their student I.D. from the institution where they're studying is not sufficient."

Those two cases will head to the state Supreme Court before the November election.

Despite the limitations on voter access, Leifer said she has a deep faith in Montanans. She's convinced Montanans can like each other without having to agree on politics.

"That's been undermined by the extreme partisanship that's gone on lately," said Leifer. "And so, I would invite everyone to step back from their partisanship and to remember that we are here, and we are all friends and neighbors, and we will be moving forward together."

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.