Cortez Masto holds 1-point lead over Laxalt in Nevada: poll

Incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) holds a 1-point lead in her reelection bid over Republican Adam Laxalt, according to a new Suffolk University-USA Today poll.

The poll, released on Tuesday, found Cortez Masto garnered the support of 45 percent of likely voters, compared to Laxalt’s 44 percent — a statistic well within the survey’s margin of error.

“Adam Laxalt is crushing Cortez Masto in the 14 rural counties plus Carson City,” said David Paleologos, the director of Suffolk University’s Political Research Center. “However, she is winning Nevada’s largest county, Clark, by enough to offset her rural setbacks in central Nevada.”

The race is considered one of the closest in the country. A second poll released Tuesday, from from Emerson College Polling, KLAS 8 News Now and The Hill, found Laxalt with a 5-point lead, 50-45 percent.

Suffolk’s previous surveys have also found a tight race between the two. The last three surveys all showed Cortez Masto with between 45 percent and 46 percent support.

Third-party candidates received a combined 4 percent support, 5 percent were undecided and 3 percent chose “none of these candidates,” an option listed on Nevada ballots.

Republicans are hoping Laxalt can court voters on issues like inflation to defeat the Democratic incumbent, which would provide a crucial victory to the GOP in their quest to take the Senate majority in next week’s midterm elections.

Cortez Masto is seen as one of Senate Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents, in addition to Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).

The poll found Laxalt has widened his lead among independent voters, garnering 43 percent support to Cortez Masto’s 30 percent.

The Suffolk University survey found confidence in the economy has continued to wane among Nevada voters.

Forty-eight percent of respondents rated the state’s economy as “poor,” a figure up from 38 percent a few weeks ago.

The pollster also found Nevada’s governor’s race remains in a dead heat, with incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) tied with Republican Joe Lombardo at 43 percent each.

The gubernatorial results are little changed from Suffolk University’s July poll, which found Lombardo led by just 1 point.

The poll was conducted between Oct. 24 and Oct. 28 through telephone interviews with 500 likely Nevada voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Updated Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 4:43 p.m.