Despite the steadfast refusal of Nevada's outgoing Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval to endorse fellow Republican Adam Laxalt as his successor — and the considerable publicity given Laxalt's aunt and several cousins endorsing the Democratic nominee — Attorney General Laxalt pulled into a 5-percentage point lead in the latest poll of the gubernatorial race.
According to the Emerson College poll released Monday morning, Laxalt leads Democratic opponent and Clark County (Las Vegas) Commissioner Steve Sisolak 46-41 percent among likely voters statewide. The margin of error was +/- 4.2 percentage points.
"Adam is a young man with a young family and projects a positive vision for tomorrow," said Nevada's Republican National Committeeman Joe W. Brown, contrasting the 40-year-old GOP nominee with Democrat Sisolak, 64.
Brown also pointed out Laxalt has already won statewide office while Sisolak is strictly a Las Vegas-area office-holder.
Laxalt recently suffered some embarrassment when his aunt and several cousins endorsed Sisolak and had some unkind words for their Republican relative. But many of those Laxalts are longtime Democrats who opposed Adam's bid for attorney general in 2014.
Laxalt's grandfather, Paul Laxalt, was Nevada's governor from 1967-71 and U.S. Senator from 1974-87. Following his death in August at age 96, Nevada went into a period of mourning and flags were at half-mast for days. The resultant attention, given his life and career, was no doubt helpful to his grandson's candidacy.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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