LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The margin of victory or defeat in the Senate race between Democratic incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto and her Republican challenger, former Attorney General Adam Laxalt, has narrowed to a razor-thin margin ahead of Election Day.
Polling aggregate FiveThirtyEight.com placed Cortez Masto with a .04% lead in the polls Monday.
"Nevada's races are always close," Cortez Masto said, saying she wasn't taking Laxalt's challenge lightly.
With the negligible lead, Cortez Masto said solving economic issues like soaring inflation would be key to victory as America continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
"We had the highest unemployment in the country at the time," she said. "It was important that we brought in the resources here to keep our individuals and families and businesses afloat during the pandemic."
Laxalt laid the blame for inflation on Democrat spending on the federal level, like the American Rescue Plan COVID stimulus package in 2021 and the latest Inflation Reduction Act designed to curb consumer prices.
"The bottom line is they have to stop spending money," he said. "They were warned in 2021 that when they did the first inflation spending bill that it was going to increase inflation."
With prices high and voters split, one concerning shift for Democrats has put the messaging target on a specific demographic of voters.
Latino voters have shifted right in recent years.
"Everything the Hispanic community is experiencing today, all-time high in crime, all-time high small businesses closed, inflation, the border issues — this is the direct result of policy," Laxalt said.
Cortez Masto, Nevada's first Hispanic female senator, said she has understood the community's plight and has been actively working to provide relief.
"You understand what they're looking for, which is no different than any other family," she said, "that good-paying job, that opportunity to really take care of your kids and make sure they have access to every success."
Early voting is underway in Nevada, with Election Day coming on Nov. 8.
