Adam Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general, won the Republican primaries in the Senate and will face Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, in the general election. November is highly competitive.
Mr. Laxalt’s victory over Sam Brown, a retired Army captain, was announced by the Associated Press. Mr and Mrs Cortez Masto, widely regarded as one of the Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents, will now brace for a costly clash that will drag on for months as Republicans try to regain power. control the Senate.
As co-chair of the 2020 Trump campaign in Nevada, Mr. Laxalt is endorsed by both former President Donald J. Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, two of the most prominent figures in the Republican Party.
After Mr. Trump’s suggestion, Mr. Laxalt promoted baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election, and he began detailed base to fight voter fraud in his own race this year, months before any votes are cast.
Approval was a cornerstone of Mr. Laxalt’s campaign, as both national leaders visited the state to rally in support of him and record television commercials on his behalf. Mr Laxalt also received a boost from the Club for Growth, an influential anti-tax conservative group, on which the political action committee spent nearly $1 million.
The Republican primaries have intensified in recent months between Mr. Laxalt and Mr. Brown, who has drawn significant support from some local Republican groups as he criticized the ties. A rival’s relationship with Washington and self-proclaimed “infidels” could bring change to the Capitol.
Now a small businessman, Mr. Brown earned the Purple Heart after being severely injured in Afghanistan and still carrying the scars on his face.
Laxalt, the grandson of Paul Laxalt, a former senator from the state, and the son of Pete Domenici, a former senator from New Mexico, have also embraced the so-called set of conspiracy beliefs alternative theorytold supporters in campaign appearances that the “left” wanted to transform the country by allowing immigrants to enter the country illegally.
Mr Laxalt has also flirted with Latino voters, who are expected to be at the heart of the November election.
Cortez Masto spent about $13.5 million on the race, according to AdImpact, which tracks ad spend. She covered the waves with TV commercials in English and Spanish to highlight her work in providing pandemic aid to the state.
The race has also attracted plenty of outside spending. Somos PAC, which focuses on Latino voters, spent $2.8 million defending Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the Senate and described Mr Laxalt as “not for us” in the election. advertisements in English and Spanish.
