In the race for U.S. Senate in Nevada, the GOP has a real chance for a pickup with Adam Laxalt, the state’s former attorney general. The Real Clear Politics average of polls gives Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto a lead of only 1.7 points. They rate the race as a tossup.
Once again, it is Hispanic voters who could make the most significant difference.
NBC News reports:
‘Our best opportunity’: Republicans pose serious threat to Cortez Masto in NevadaIn a volatile midterm election where Democrats have unexpectedly taken the lead in crucial battleground states, Republicans have found a glimmer of hope in their quest to seize control of the Senate.Eight weeks before Election Day, they’re within striking distance of capturing the seat long held by the late Democratic titan Harry Reid before Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won it in 2016.Cortez Masto may be the most endangered Democratic incumbent in this cycle, even though her party hasn’t lost a Senate race here in a decade. While Democrats still project confidence, polls show a dead heat despite massive spending by Cortez Masto and an early assault of negative ads designed to tarnish rival Adam Laxalt.“This is definitely our best opportunity at any point in the last 14 years,” said Jeremy Hughes, a Republican consultant who has worked on many Nevada races.Hughes cited GOP gains in voter registration, a trend of Hispanic voters drifting away from Democrats and rising prices of gas and food as the key forces propelling Republicans.
The Hill was even franker in their analysis of this race in a recent article:
Nevada could cost Democrats their Senate majorityDemocrats are bracing for a nail-biter in Nevada’s Senate race, a true toss-up that could determine whether the party retains the majority in the upper chamber.Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D), who served as state attorney general for two terms before in 2016 becoming the first Latina to win a seat in the Senate, is fighting to keep her spot as she fends off a bid from Trump-endorsed Adam Laxalt (R), a former state attorney general.While Cortez Masto has shown a competitive fundraising advantage, including raising more than double the amount Laxalt raked in during the second quarter this year, polling shows the Senate race will be close.“This is the most important race on the map for Republicans or Democrats,” said one GOP strategist familiar with Nevada politics, later adding, “in Laxalt, you’ve got a candidate who can carry the change message very clearly, unify all clans in the Republican Party and is running a good race.”
Laxalt is wisely keeping his focus on economic issues. A quick look at his Twitter feed shows this:
Laxalt has been endorsed by Trump and Ron DeSantis.
Featured image via YouTube.
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