Catherine Cortez Masto Archives

Biden, Xi meet; U of Virginia campus shooting; Dems take Senate

November 14, 2022

The highly anticipated meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping took place overnight; a shooting at the campus of the University of Virginia left three dead; and Democrats maintained control of the Senate with a key win over the weekend. These stories highlight the Daily Rundown for Monday, Nov. 14, 2022.

Biden, Xi meet – President Biden met with President Xi in person for the first time with Biden as president Monday. The goal of the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, was to “manage” differences between the two countries.

“As the leaders of our two nations, we share responsibility, in my view, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from becoming anything ever near conflict, and to find ways to work together on urgent global issues that require our mutual cooperation,” Biden said at the meeting. “I believe this is critical for the sake of our two countries and the international community.”

Virginia campus shooting – A shooting at a parking lot on the University of Virginia campus late Sunday has left three dead and another two injured. According to a statement from the university’s president, the suspect, a student, was still on the loose as of early Monday morning.

“This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send, and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia,” university President Jim Ryan said in the statement. “This is a traumatic incident for everyone in our community.”

Democrats hold Senate – With Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) win in a tight reelection race called Saturday night, Democrats secured at least a 50-50 majority in the Senate following the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats could gain a seat in the Senate depending on the results of next month’s runoff election in Georgia.

As of early Monday, House control was still up in the air, with Republicans holding a 212-204 advantage. Republicans need to get to 218 to take control from Democrats.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cortez Masto wins Nevada Senate race

November 12, 2022

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D, has secured a second term in office. The incumbent defeated the state Attorney General Adam Laxalt, R, who was trying to flip the seat for the GOP.

This was a tight race between two candidates who have already proven they can win a statewide election in Nevada. In fact, Laxalt succeeded Cortez Masto as attorney general: She served from 2007 to 2015, and he has held the position ever since.

Cortez Masto made history when she was elected in 2016, becoming the first woman and first Latina to represent the state in the Senate. Laxalt comes from a prominent political family: His father was a U.S. senator from New Mexico, and his grandfather was the governor of Nevada.

This race was crucial to the Senate’s balance of power. To gain an outright majority, Democrats needed to hold the seat. So Cortez Masto brought in big names to campaign like former President Barack Obama and singer Camilla Cabello. Republicans needed to win in order to flip the Senate. Laxalt received help from former President Donald Trump, Senators like Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas, and governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis. Laxalt fully embraced Trump’s support, appearing with both the former President and his son Don Jr.

The endorsements took an unusual turn when 14 members of the Laxalt family endorsed Cortez Masto and she took out full page ads in newspapers around the state showing the letter they signed saying she was the better choice.

This was the costliest race in Nevada history. Ad spending totaled more than $176 million, according to the tracking firm AdImpact.
Warnock vs. Walker runoff election could break spending record

November 11, 2022

With control of the Senate potentially on the line, next month’s runoff election between Senator Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Republican challenger Herschel Walker could set a spending record. According to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks money in politics, spending on the Walker vs. Warnock runoff already topped $260 million.

That figure ranks second among midterm races, trailing only the $372 million spent in this year’s Senate race between Sen.-elect John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Dr. Mehmet Oz. The most expensive race ever was the $515 million contest between former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. That race also went to a runoff, which Sen. Ossoff won.

“Just start adding zeroes and stop when you feel like it,” Chuck Clay, a former state Republican chair and former state senator, said. “Money is going to be no object on either side.”

Like with the Ossoff/Perdue race, a reason the Warnock/Walker runoff election could break a spending record is because the race could determine who controls the Senate for the next two years. As of Friday morning, Republicans held a 49-48 lead in the Senate, with Senate Races in Arizona and Nevada too close to call.

In the Arizona race, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., leads Republican challenger Blake Masters. In Nevada, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., trails Republican challenger Adam Laxalt.

If those results hold, Walker will need to win the runoff in order for Republicans to win a majority. If he doesn’t, a 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking ties means Democrats keep the majority.

“Both parties have every incentive in the world to try and win,” Andrea Gillespie, an associate professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta, said. “It’s going to be bare knuckles for the next month.”

Reuters contributed to this report.
Will Democrats or Republicans win control of the Senate?

November 8, 2022
On midterm election night, the most important questions include which party will come out with a majority in the House and Senate. Polling indicates neither party is likely to walk away with a big margin in the Senate. Here’s why.

The most important races are:
- Georgia: Sen. Raphael Warnock*, D v. Herschel Walker, R
- Pennsylvania: Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, D v. Dr. Mehmet Oz, R
- Ohio: J.D. Vance, R v. Rep. Tim Ryan, R
- Arizona: Sen. Mark Kelly*, D v. Blake Masters, R
- Nevada: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto*, D v. Attorney General Adam Laxalt, R
- Florida: Sen. Marco Rubio, R* v. Rep. Val Demings, D
Democrats currently have a 50-50 majority in the Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaking vote.

If Republicans or Democrats won every single race listed above, the winner would have a 53-47 majority. That’s far from a filibuster-proof majority. If Republicans and Democrats flip each one of the seats listed above, we’d be right back at where we started: a 50-50 split with VP Harris breaking the tie.

Moral of the story: Even with success at the polls, neither party has a strong probability of walking out with a large lead.
Obama to campaign for Democrats in battleground states before midterms

October 28, 2022

Former President Barack Obama is making a series of appearances in key battleground states ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. He’s trying to prevent what has been a historic trend – the president’s party losing seats during the midterms.

“It’s critical to get out the vote for Democrats up and down the ballot. The power to protect reproductive rights and codify Roe is in our hands. We just have to use it,” Obama said in a video posted on Twitter.

Democrats lost 63 seats in the House during his first midterm in 2010, Obama described it as a “shellacking.”

While President Biden’s approval rating is 40% according to the most recent Gallup poll, Democrats believe the former president is quite popular.

“Obama occupies a rare place in our politics today,” the former President’s chief strategist David Axelrod told the AP. “He obviously has great appeal to Democrats. But he’s also well-liked by independent voters.”

Here’s a look at the stops he’s making around the country

It begins Friday in Georgia where there are key races for governor and the Senate. Obama will appear with gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, D, who is trying again to defeat Gov. Brian Kemp, R, and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D, who is running for reelection against Herschel Walker, R.

Obama will be in Michigan and Wisconsin Saturday. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Michigan, is running for reelection against Tudor Dixon, R. In Wisconsin, he’ll be campaigning for Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, D, who is trying to oust incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, R.

Next week he’ll be in Nevada where there is an important race for the Senate. Incumbent Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is being challenged by the state’s Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt. There’s also a contest for governor where incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak, D, is being challenged by Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo, R. These two men worked closely together to carry Las Vegas through the aftermath of the Mandalay Bay shooting in 2017. Now they are opponents.

Finally, Obama will make a stop in Pennsylvania. There’s a very tight Senate race there that polls show is neck and neck and could go either way. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, D, is running against Dr. Mehmet Oz. A Fetterman win would flip the seat in Democrats’ favor.

Enthusiasm and motivation

While polling indicates which candidate voters prefer, those voters still need to show up and cast a ballot. A recent survey from Monmouth University showed significant differences between voters who are “extremely motivated” and those who are “more enthusiastic.”

Georgia Senate race general poll

Senator Raphael Warnock, D, 49%

Herschel Walker, R, 44%

Among “extremely motivated” voters

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D, 49%

Herschel Walker, R, 48%

Among “more enthusiastic” voters

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D, 43%

Herschel Walker, R, 54%

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former Nevada GOP chair on Cortez Masto-Laxalt Senate race

October 27, 2022

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.
Walker-Warnock tops list of Senate races to watch in 2022 midterms

September 15, 2022

Democrats and Republicans are encouraging their constituents to vote by saying abortion rights, gun rights, student loan relief, healthcare and public safety are all on the ballot this November. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the majority.

So, as voters prepare to choose which party will control Congress, here are five of the most important Senate races to watch.

1. Georgia

Incumbent: Sen. Raphael Warnock, D

Challenger: Herschel Walker, R

This race puts Georgians at the intersection of faith and football. Walker, a Georgia football legend, is up against Warnock, a pastor who preached at the same church as Dr. Martin Luther King.

Sen. Warnock, along with fellow Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, flipped Republican held seats in a 2020 special election. Now Walker, with the help of both Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, is trying to take one of them back.

Money is a big factor. Sen. Warnock has raised more money than any other candidate in the country – a whopping $85 million. Herschel Walker has taken in a little over $20 million.

2. Pennsylvania

Candidates: Lt. Governor John Fetterman, D

Dr. Mehmet Oz, R

Sen. Pat Toomey, R, is retiring. Dr. Oz and Democratic Lt. Governor Fetterman are vying to replace him.

Dr. Oz gained national fame for hosting his own TV show. Fetterman has set himself apart as a blue collar man who is one of the people with his sweatshirt and jeans. In fact, he is wearing a workman’s shirt in his official portrait as lt. governor.

Polls show the race is leaning in Fetterman’s favor. But Fetterman has struggled to fully recover from a stroke and has put off debating Oz, because he is struggling with auditory processing, according to his campaign spokesperson. Oz is using that to raise questions about his fitness for office.

3. Nevada

Incumbent: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D

Challenger: State Attorney General Adam Laxalt, R

Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto is trying to hold her seat, but the Cook Political Report considers the race a toss-up.

She is running against Nevada’s attorney General Adam Laxalt, who succeeded Cortez Masto in that position. This is an interesting race between two candidates who have both held the same position. This is also the seat of the late former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D, so Republicans see the race as an opportunity for symbolic victory, too.

4. Wisconsin

Incumbent: Sen. Ron Johnson, R

Challenger: Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, D

This race is a toss-up, according to the Cook Political Report.

Sen. Johnson is a high ranking Senate Republican. He was the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and he continues to sit on the Foreign Relations and Budget Committee.

Lt. Governor Barnes started his political career early. He became a state representative at 27, and the state’s first black Lt. Governor at 31. Barnes works on multiple environmental issues and also pegs himself as someone who can stand up for local farmers.

Johnson has held the seat since 2010, so it will be a big flip if Barnes is victorious.

5. Arizona

Incumbent: Sen. Mark Kelly, D

Challenger: Blake Masters, R

Sen. Mark Kelly flipped this seat in 2020. His opponent, Blake Masters, is trying to take it back, calling himself “Arizona’s true MAGA candidate.”

Kelly is a retired astronaut and husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D, who was shot during a constituent outing and has since become a gun control activist. Kelly is promoting a growing number of local Arizona Republicans who have endorsed him.

Masters is a businessman who is proudly running with former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Like Trump, Masters said it was worth putting his business career on hold because he said he hates seeing what is happening to Arizona.

Money, again, is a big factor in this race. Kelly has raised $54 million, putting him second in the country behind only Warnock.

Biden, Xi meet; U of Virginia campus shooting; Dems take Senate

Cortez Masto wins Nevada Senate race

Warnock vs. Walker runoff election could break spending record

Will Democrats or Republicans win control of the Senate?

Obama to campaign for Democrats in battleground states before midterms

Former Nevada GOP chair on Cortez Masto-Laxalt Senate race

Walker-Warnock tops list of Senate races to watch in 2022 midterms

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