Republican Adam Laxalt has edged ahead of incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto in the race to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate, according to a new poll.
According to a CBS/YouGov poll released on Thursday, Laxalt is leading Cortez Masto by one point with just weeks left before Election Day. A survey of likely voters across the state showed that 49% back Laxalt and 48% back Cortez Masto.
The survey showed an even closer race in the gubernatorial contest between Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak and Republican Joe Lombardo, the sheriff of Clark County. The candidates are tied at 48%.
The U.S. Senate race and gubernatorial race polls each have a margin of error of 4.5 points.
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Despite having the advantage of incumbency, Democrats in elected office this year are struggling against poor economic news that shows signs of getting worse, as well as their political party’s branding under an unpopular president. President Joe Biden, with a majority Democratic congress, has overseen the start and escalation of multiple crises in the U.S. and abroad.
Nevada has born the brunt of some of those poor realities, such as the economic downturn and rising inflation. Crime, an issue Republicans tend to poll better with, is also an important issue for Republicans that is aiding Laxalt’s and Lombardo’s campaigns.
The incumbent Democrats poll better than their GOP opponents on how voters perceive how the politicians handle themselves personally. The top election issues for Nevada voters are the economy, inflation, and crime, however. All three issues favor the Republican candidates.
Democrats broadly have attempted to pivot the election toward abortion access after the overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this summer. Cortez Masto and Sisolak have followed suit. While Nevada voters generally favor Democrats’ approach to abortion access, voters’ have overriding concerns about the economy.
That trend is in line with voters’ feelings nationally. A New York Times/Siena College poll released earlier this week found that Republicans are leading Democrats by four points on the generic congressional ballot. According to the poll, 49% of voters say they are likely to vote for a Republican to represent them in Congress. Forty-five percent of voters said the same for a Democrat.
