Political Wire

Nevada Democrats Count on the Reid Machine

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Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) has trailed her challenger, Adam Laxalt (R), in recent polls and Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) is also trailing his challenger, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“But in Las Vegas, the Democrats may have an ace up their sleeve: They have the backing of the highly motivated and influential Culinary Workers Union Local 226, a 60,000-member organization of Las Vegas hotel staff that has a strong history of canvassing and turning elections in their favor.”

Democrats Hold Edge in Nevada

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A new Nevada Independent/OH Predictive Insights poll finds Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) leading challenger Adam Laxalt (R) by two points, 43% to 41%.

In the governor’s race, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) leads Joe Lombardo (R) by four points, 45% to 41%.

Down ballot, Democratic candidates for several statewide offices — attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer — also led their respective Republican opponents by slim margins.

The ‘Reid Machine’ Staring Down Tough Test

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“Democrats in Nevada hold both U.S. Senate seats, the governor’s mansion and three of its four U.S. House seats. The state hasn’t backed a Republican presidential candidate since 2004,” the AP reports.

“But as this year’s midterm elections approach, the party’s grip on power is under threat. Catherine Cortez Masto has been called the most vulnerable Democrat in the Senate. Gov. Steve Sisolak is facing a spirited reelection challenge from Republican Joe Lombardo. And the GOP could pick up two House seats in Nevada, which would put the party well on its way to regaining the majority in Washington.”

“The dynamics pose a severe test for the sophisticated organization that the late Sen. Harry Reid spent years building to give Democrats an edge in the swing state.”

Nevada Democrats In Trouble

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A new Suffolk University/Reno Gazette Journal poll in Nevada finds Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) and Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) are now polling behind candidates once considered long-shots to take their jobs. 

In the U.S. Senate race, Adam Laxalt (R) tops Masto 43% to 40%, while Sam Brown (R) edges her 41% to 40%.

In the race for Governor, John Lee (R) leads Sisolak 40% to 37%, while Dean Heller (R) is tied at 39%.

Said pollster David Paleologos: “Any time an incumbent polls under 50%, he or she is deemed vulnerable because they are established brands. Moreover, when incumbents poll at or below 40% it is much worse, because it is very difficult to convince undecideds to vote for you when they remain undecided despite telling us that they are very interested in voting in this election.”

Dean Heller Says He Thinks Biden Is Illegitimate

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Former Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), who is running for Nevada governor, told the Las Vegas Review Journal that most Nevadans think Joe Biden is an illegitimate president and that he agrees with them.

His campaign later clarified that he meant to say most Republicans in the state think Biden is an illegitimate president.

But Heller wouldn’t say what he discussed when he met with Donald Trump a few weeks ago: “That’s personal. I don’t kiss and tell when it comes to Trump.”

Michele Fiore Announces Bid for Nevada Governor

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“Las Vegas Councilwoman Michele Fiore (R) said Tuesday she will seek the Republican nomination for governor, casting herself as a champion for conservative values amid a cascade of controversies that figure to be election cycle targets,” the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.

“Fiore is under FBI investigation related to her campaign finances; fellow Councilwoman Victoria Seaman accused her of breaking Seaman’s finger in an assault inside City Hall; and Fiore survived a failed recall effort last year fueled in part by racially charged remarks she reportedly made regarding affirmative action.”

Dean Heller Eyes Comeback In Nevada

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Former Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) “is preparing to run for governor in 2022, giving Republicans a high-profile entrant into one of the key contests of the midterm elections,” Politico reports.

“Heller has meetings with GOP governors, party leaders and major donors at the Republican Governors Association conference this week in Nashville.”

Laxalt Was Arrested for Assaulting Police Officer

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Nevada gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt (R) was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer in June 1996, according to police report summaries obtained by the Reno Gazette Journal.

Explained Laxalt: “When I was 17, I was at a friend’s house, when police suddenly started to enter and I reacted the wrong way—trying to keep them from coming in and asking for a warrant. Today, as a law enforcement officer, I understand they were just doing their jobs. If I could go back and knock some sense into that drunk teenager I would. As a result of this and other incidents with alcohol, I got sober at 18, found God, and put my life back on track.”

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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