With the balance of the Senate at stake, no state has been more indicative of the divide between Republicans and Democrats than Nevada. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) is in the heated race for her seat with the state’s former Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R).
Polling has been tight. A recent Univision poll showed Cortez Masto with a 2% lead, while an Insider Advantage American Greatness poll released this week has Laxalt leading by two points with 48.2%.
Like Democrats nationwide, the incumbent has made abortion rights central to her campaign. Her opponent has focused on the nation’s economic woes and record inflation.
Nevadans have felt the brunt of rising prices, with inflation spiking 16 percent since January of 2021, according to the U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee.
Former Nevada State Republican Party chair Amy Tarkanian spoke exclusively with Straight Arrow News. She said when it comes to hot button issues, she hopes the Republicans are benefiting from focusing on the economy.
“It doesn’t make much sense to me personally that here in the state of Nevada, you would have Democrat candidates focused so much on abortion. In the early nineties we actually took a vote in two elections and solidified that abortion was allowed up to 24 weeks. So nothing’s going to change no matter who wins this election,” Tarkanian said.
The Univision poll also found that Cortez Masto leads Laxalt among Latino voters by a 3:1 margin. Tarkanian said Laxalt is continuing to court those votes. She also said even though Laxalt didn’t raise as much money as Cortez Masto during the midterm cycle, he will continue to rake it in before Election Day.
“You have to remember though that Adam had a pretty contentious primary that he wasn’t expecting. So that took a huge hit in his treasure trove. So he has to virtually start all over. But he has one of the biggest rolodexes that I have ever encountered in any politician,” Tarkanian said.
