The 2022 Senate elections have grabbed the eyes of many, owing to the variety of exciting races that it has to offer.
Alongside the Nevada Senate race, where Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is seeking a second term, Pennsylvania and the Missouri Senate races are also gaining traction with every passing day.
Catherine won the Senate seat left open by former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid with a little more than two percent margin.
With the entrance of Adam Laxalt in the Nevada Senate race for the 2022 elections, the Republicans’ hopes are getting brighter to clinch a victory in what is considered the most hotly contested race of the next midterm. Laxalt, an Iraq war veteran and former Attorney General of Nevada, has deep links within the state that can help him cross the magical 50% mark in the Senate midterm.
As he remains closely associated with Donald Trump, he is likely to win his endorsement as well, which is considered a must-have thing for most of the Republicans.
While the GOP’s final candidate will be decided in the June 2022 Republican primary, Adam Laxalt’s presence in the race tilts the contest in Republicans’ favor to a great extent, which increases the worries for Democrats.
The environmental issues are likely to drive voters in the 2022 elections, so the League of Conservation Voters has also endorsed Senator Masto for her pro-environment policies that can help her win the Senate seat once again.
However, undermining the Republican party would not be less than a blunder, and defending the turf would be at least as difficult for the Senator as it was conquering it for the first time.
How are Nevada politics unfolding for the 2022 Senate race? Let’s see.
Masto Seeks Rebid Amid the Shattering Democratic Party
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has announced her reelection bid in a video message, mentioning that her primary focus is on health care, immigration, and helping the state of Nevada fight the pandemic.
Senator Masto is an ardent advocate of affordable health care’s accessibility to all Americans, for which she brags about as well.
Seeing the importance of the climate change issues in the next elections, she also mentioned her efforts for investment in clean energy.
She even bragged about casting a critical vote in favor of Affordable Health Care when Republicans were about to repeal it.
In April, Senator Masto encouraged the people of the Silver State to shop the state’s health insurance to determine if they could get any cheaper coverage due to the new COVID relief law signed by President Biden.
She also remained vocal about the suffering of DREAMers, and promised to stand by them in her video message.
A granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, she has the opportunity to win immigrants’ votes of the state as well, and she did try to gain the sympathy of them in her video message.
Nevada is one of the hardest-hit states due to COVID. Her actions of criticizing National Republicans for opposing the COVID-19 relief package can play in her favor in the 2022 Nevada Senate election.
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto was the first Latino woman to serve in the United States Senate back when she flipped the Senate seat of Nevada.
Senator Catherine also introduced an amendment to the US budget that will prioritize aid for the entertainment and travel agency.
This amendment was passed from the Senate before being attacked by then-Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell.
For Masto, winning the Democratic primary was looking like a walk in the park, but her bid to bypass the state party deepened the internal crisis within Nevada Democrats.
The left flank of the party is concerned about this authoritarian practice of the Senator. This internal rift can leave the Democrats shattered, creating room for an equally eager Republican party.
Having a stash of almost $2.3 million in her campaign account, Masto’s ticket looks promising, but the internal divide has the potential to split the voters’ base to a great extent.
Adam Laxalt: The Republicans Front Man in the 2022 Nevada Senate Elections
Adam Laxalt, the former Attorney General of Nevada, is the most likely Republican candidate for the 2022 Nevada Senate election.
However, Laxalt is expected to face some of the following Republicans in the primary.
- Nevada State Senator, Heidi Gansert
- Former Lieutenant Governor, Mack Hutchison
- Nevada State Senator, Ben Kieckhefer
Adam Laxalt also ran in Nevada’s 2020 gubernatorial elections but was unsuccessful in his election bid.
So, carrying forward his experience and popularity, he is in a position to give a tough time to the incumbent.
His staunch support to conservatism is likely to draw the help of former president Donald Trump, bringing evangelicals in Laxalt’s favor.
Final Thoughts
Seeing the recent election patterns and the close races, the 2022 Nevada Senate elections are also likely to be a close one.
The current political situation in Nevada suggests that the Silver State will witness tough competition in the 2022 midterms election. Both Joe Biden and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto won their respective elections with an equal lead of 2.4 percent.
The contest is likely to be an interesting one if it turns out to be a Masto vs. Laxalt election; otherwise, Democrats can walk through the state easily.
The biggest challenge for Democrats is to ensure that all the party factions remain on the same page; if somehow distrust penetrates within the competing Democratic factions, Masto will have to succumb to the party’s internal politics. This way, Republicans would have the upper hand in the race.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.