One of the most hard-fought races is expected to be in Nevada, where incumbent Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is facing a challenge from Republican Adam Laxalt.
Polling suggests the contest is very tight, with independent election website FiveThirtyEight putting Laxalt ahead by less than two points, based on the most recent opinion surveys.
The site, founded in 2008 by polling guru Nate Silver, has Laxalt on 45.6 percent, versus 44.1 percent for Cortez Masto, based on an aggregate of recently conducted polls.
However, the most recent poll listed on the site, conducted by SSRS for CNN, put Cortez Masto ahead of her GOP challenger with the support of 47 percent of voters versus 44 percent.
This poll found the economy and inflation as the most important political issues for the biggest group of Nevadans, with 44 percent naming these as their top issues versus 14 percent for abortion, which is in second placed.
The CNN survey was carried out between September 26 and October 2 “using a combination of online and telephone interviews,” with 926 voters across Nevada surveyed.
However, a separate poll, conducted by OH Predictive Insights for local paper The Nevada Independent, put Laxalt ahead. This survey of 741 voters, conducted between September 20 and 29, had Laxalt at 45 percent, versus 43 percent for the incumbent Senator.
Speaking to Newsweek Laxalt said: “These polls capture what we are seeing on the ground here in Nevada. Between surging inflation, rising violent crime, the effects of an open border, and record-high gas prices, Nevadans are fed up with Cortez Masto being a 95% rubber stamp vote for Joe Biden.
“I’m a former Navy and Iraq veteran and law enforcement endorsed top cop of the State. Nevadans of all political parties are backing my race because they know I will always put them first. We look forward to Cortez Masto’s campaign conceding defeat in November. We are grateful for the support from President Trump and other Republican efforts.”
In August, Laxalt condemned the FBI’s raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago private members club in Palm Beach, Florida, which was conducted to retrieve top secret and classified documents.
Laxalt tweeted: “We don’t live in a 3rd world country. We live in America.
“Today’s raid of Trump’s home is just another example of the growing weaponization of our federal agencies by the Left while people like Hunter Biden live freely.
“Starting Nov. 8th, this power grab will come to an end.”
Speaking to NBC News last month Laxalt reiterated his position, saying: “The FBI is far too political right now, and we need to do something to take the polarization out of that.
“We just can’t afford to have our top law enforcement agency that politicized.”
Cortez Masto has pledged to continue fighting for abortion access if re-elected.
Earlier this month she tweeted: “This June, a Supreme Court ruling stripped fundamental freedoms from women across the country. I’ll never stop fighting for women’s right to make their own decisions about their futures.”
Newsweek has reached out to Cortez Masto and Laxalt for comment.
Update 10/08/22 3:10 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to remove a spelling mistake in the headline.
