Cortez Masto defeats Laxalt in Nevada, handing Democrats control of the Senate

NBC News ^ | November 12, 2022 | Natasha Korecki

[Coronal]

LAS VEGAS — Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected to the Senate, will hold onto her seat in Nevada after enduring a bruising campaign against Republican Adam Laxalt, who fell short of ousting the Democrat despite severe midterm headwinds, NBC News projects.

The outcome follows days of protracted mail-in ballot counting, with the results resting largely with the state’s most populous county, Clark County, which posted updates once a day since Tuesday. A race long predicted to be within the margin of error was indeed close through the end.

Latino voters here helped power the results after both candidates invested heavily in courting them. Latinos were expected to make up 1 in 5 midterm voters, but the NBC News Exit Poll in the state suggests those expectations fell short, with Latinos making up just 12 percent of Nevada voters. Last month, both parties saw signs of a disaffected electorate that threatened to stay home.

The NBC News Exit Poll also showed that those who did turn out stood by her. Despite predictions from her opponent that she'd struggle with Latinos, 62 percent said they voted for Cortez Masto and 33 percent backed Laxalt, according to the NBC News Exit Poll.

[TChad]

...the one tomorrow night should be from 70 percent R precincts.

Please, please, please, be right.

[central_va]

Trump is running in '24. Desantis will get crushed if he tries to go against Trump.

You will be voting for Trump in Nov. ‘24.

Get used to the idea.

Where else are you going to go?

[MayflowerMadam]

“No winner declared yet officially.”

I’m confused. Some rogue organization “calls it”, and it’s gospel? Whose job is it to make the official decree? Secretary Of State?

[Coronal]

Nobody’s stopped counting. Things have reached the point where a Laxalt victory is effectively beyond reach given the remaining votes and the current patterns of the results. the count will continue until it’s done.

[central_va]

Trump is running in '24. Desantis will get crushed if he tries to go against Trump.

You will be voting for Trump in Nov. ‘24.

Get used to the idea.

Where else are you going to go?

[Coronal]

Not yet.

[Magnatron]

Where else are you going to go?

You do realize that this phrase is how we ended up with Cheney, Romney, Graham, Kinzinger, McConnell, and any number of other useless placeholders in office?

There are always choices…

[Conservative independent]

Remember: Elections are not won by who votes, but who counts the votes. We should not be surprised by this outcome.

[proud_dad_of_two]

Dems want it more than the GOP. These results are GOTV and ballot harvesting far more than outright cheating. Until that changes the GOP will continue losing most of these close races.

Oh I know, and you know it. However, it seems that the GOP and Trump especially are more content to stand on the sideline and pout that the other team is trying to win more.

FR is a microcosm of it. All this whining and complaining, yet nothing tangible in terms of action.

[central_va]

Like I said you WILL be voting for Trump in Nov. 2024. You have no where else to go.

[CFW]

As soon as she got in the lead, they called it and stopped counting.

[proud_dad_of_two]

You will be voting for Trump in Nov. ‘24.

It's a possibility. However, Trump can't control his emotions, and it shows immediately in his social media postings.

At some point people have to recognize that you sometimes have to attract more than your hardcore base to win national elections. This is NOT a conservative nation any longer.

Assuming, and I think that's a HUGE assumption at the moment, that Trump is the GOP nominee, he's going to lose. These mid terms are illustrating the exact reason why - young people, single women. Unless Trump tries to make inroads with these groups, he's going to lose and potentially lose badly. Saying otherwise is putting your head in the sand.

[Uncle Miltie]

Dumpster Fire Country.

[Poison Pill]

Or, maybe the electorate in swing states is sick of Trump and doesn’t want to vote for his Senate candidates.

[Coronal]

They’re still counting, and will continue to do so.

[CFW]

Both McConnell and McCarthy should resign their leadership positions (and preferably their seat). This is totally on them. They have both stood silently by as seat after seat has been lost (stolen) in full view of the nation.

[central_va]

On Tuesday Trump anounces and we finally get to fight back. I got my check ready to send.

[UnwashedPeasant]

Whether intentional or not, the Senate loss means Mitch must lose his leadership position.

[Kazan]

Yes, we needed more moderate candidates! More in John McCain mold, right?

Name one candidate running in a Republican candidate in primary that lost to a Trump candidate that would have won.

[MinorityRepublican]

These mid terms are illustrating the exact reason why - young people, single women. Unless Trump tries to make inroads with these groups, he's going to lose and potentially lose badly.

DeSantis might be able to appeal to them in 2024. Trump? No chance. We have to be realistic. 2016 was 8 years ago. Things have changed.