The Los Angeles Times reports that Mitt Romney may win ‘swing region’ Washoe County, and also Nevada, because of his campaign’s focus on economic issues and because of the large Mormon population. President Obama won Washoe County in the last election, but the current state of the economy in northern Nevada could make a repeat victory a challenge.

Republican strategist Robert Uithoven thinks that with the right focus, Washoe County could go to Romney.

“Washoe County is ground zero for the issues that Mitt Romney needs to keep this campaign about, which is the jobs issue and home foreclosures,” says Uithoven. “If he can keep those issues front and center, I think he’ll do very well. Not just in the county, but in the state.”

News of a planned Apple data center in Washoe County is unlikely to help Obama, according to Democrat Jill Darby, even though economic development usually helps the incumbent.

 “Having a big name like Apple come in is giving everybody a boost, but I don’t think that’s going to have an immediate effect,” says Derby. “The economy remains the biggest challenge to the Obama campaign.”

Uithoven acknowledges that Romney could win Washoe County and still not win Nevada, given that 70 percent of the state’s voters are in heavily Democratic Clark County.