(Headline USA) U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton told a crowd of about 4,000 Republicans that former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt plans to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.
He and other Republican luminaries revved up a crowd gathered at a rural Nevada cattle ranch on Saturday, reminding the party faithful that path to wresting back the U.S. Senate in next year’s midterms could hinge on Nevada.
Sweltering sun and wildfire smoke obscuring the nearby mountains did little to blunt the energy of conservative activists at Laxalt’s 6th annual Basque Fry, an event modeled after cookouts hosted by the former Nevada Attorney General’s grandfather, U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt — the son of a Basque immigrant sheepherder.
The event is increasingly becoming a key stop on the early presidential primary circuit, drawing rising stars hoping to strengthen their name recognition and endear themselves to voters through sampling the local fare.
Politicians including Cotton, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller traded suits and ties for cowboy boots and Levis, traversing the ranch, glad-handing and posing for selfies with activists sporting T-shirts that read “Fauci lied” and “Trump DeSantis 2024.”
Cotton, who wouldn’t say whether he planned to try the fries, compared Nevada to Arizona, Georgia and New Hampshire and said, with Adam Laxalt as a candidate, it was perhaps the Republicans’ best chance to flip a U.S. Senate seat. Laxalt has not yet announced plans to run for office.
“Adam, I guess he’s not supposed to say that he’s going to be your next United States Senator. There’s some campaign finance rules against it. But what do I care about some stupid rules like that? Adam Laxalt is going to the United States Senate for the Battle Born state in 2022,” Cotton said.
Cotton called U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto too in step with party leadership to represent a swing state like Nevada.
He said taking back the U.S. Senate would allow Republicans to contain China’s growing geopolitical power, secure the U.S.-Mexico border and prevent critical race theory from being taught in schools.
“Nevada is a pretty evenly divided state, and she has voted for the Biden-Schumer agenda straight down the line,” Cotton said.
In Nevada, Democrats currently hold the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats and majorities in both state legislative chambers.
But it’s still very much a swing state, both parties say.
Florida Gov. Ron De Santis, this year’s event’s marquee speaker, canceled his in-person appearance on Friday because of a possible tropical storm in the U.S. southeast.
Audience members shushed each other to hear his video message, in which he claimed to be “living rent-free in Joe Biden’s head” and encouraged Laxalt to run for Senate.
Both DeSantis and Cotton are rumored to be mulling presidential bids. But the path to the nomination depends largely on whether Trump intends to enter the race.
Republicans previewed their message for the upcoming midterm elections, stressing the power of social media platforms, crime, immigration and how schools teach children about racism’s role in U.S. history.
“Big tech has been ruthlessly enforcing the ruling elites’ worldview on everything from COVID to election integrity — you name it. If you fall from the orthodoxy, you’re going to be canceled, suspended, pulled off. Now is the time for us to stand up,” Laxalt said.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.
