A senate race in Nevada that was already heated just became even more so, as according to a letter obtained by The Nevada Independent, as many as fourteen members of Republican Senate candidate and former Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s family have pledged to endorse his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto instead of their own family member, who is a staunch conservative Republican.
The three-page letter does not mention Laxalt’s name or even his ampaign, but instead focuses solely on Masto and her positions on women’s issues, federal mining taxes, public land preservation, and record as the state’s attorney general from 2007 to 2015.
“We believe that Catherine possesses a set of qualities that clearly speak of what we like to call ‘Nevada grit,’” the letter states, continuing that “no further comments will be made, as we believe this letter speaks for itself.”
The race is a tight one and considered crucial to help determine which party will control the Senate after November’s mid-term election.
Laxalt’s grandfather Paul Laxalt was one of the state’s most prominent Republicans for decades, serving as both a senator and governor.
It’s also not the first time Laxalt’s family has opposed his political aspirations. He ran for governor in 2012, and 12 of his family members publicly opposed his bid, telling the Reno Gazette-Journal in an op-ed at the time that they believe he had “leveraged and exploited the family name,” which prompted another nearly 2 dozen family members to publish a second op-ed in opposition to his run for governor.
Laxalt tweeted in response to the newest letter:
“It’s not surprising that once again a handful of family members and spouses, half of whom do not live in Nevada, and most of whom are Democrats, are supporting a Democrat.”
Polls indicate that the race is one that could be a flip for Republicans, as most show Laxalt with a lead over Masto, albeit a slight one.
Other polls, however, like a recent one from Suffolk University/USA Today, still show the incumbent Matso with the lead.
