Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt is projected to win the state’s GOP Senate primary on Wednesday, setting up a match-up with Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D).
The Associated Press called the race at 1:02 a.m. ET.
Laxalt, who was backed by former President Trump, defeated seven candidates in the primary. He had been widely viewed as the front-runner, though businessman and retired Army Capt. Sam Brown moved up in polling ahead of Tuesday’s primary, in addition to spending more on television.
But Laxalt had big GOP names behind him in addition to Trump, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and a group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Democrats have seized on Laxalt’s vocal support for Trump’s unproven claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Laxalt served as the co-chair of Trump’s reelection campaign in Nevada in 2020. He also unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018, losing to Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) by 4 points.
The state’s Senate race, along with its gubernatorial contest, is one of the most closely watched this midterm cycle, and both parties will face a tough road. Nevada’s gubernatorial race and Senate race have been labeled as toss-ups by the Cook Political Report, as have the House races for the state’s 1st, 3rd and 4th congressional districts.
