On Tuesday, state Attorney General Adam Laxalt finally made his long-awaited campaign for Nevada governor official. Laxalt has looked like the Republican front-runner for ages, but had been content to keep things unofficial while still raising money for re-election, which he can now transfer to a gubernatorial bid. Unlike term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has cultivated a moderate image, Laxalt has staked out hard-right positions to cast himself as Nevada's "One True Conservative" in the words of prominent state political journalist Jon Ralston.
The grandson of former Nevada Sen. Paul Laxalt and the son of the late New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici, Adam Laxalt won his single term in elected office in the 2014 GOP wave in a shocking 46-45 upset against Democratic then-Secretary of State Ross Miller. Laxalt's campaign was a trainwreck of negative headlines that literally included some of his own family members arguing he was unqualified and endorsing Miller. Nevertheless, Laxalt squeaked across the finish line after historically awful turnout among Nevada Democrats after their party put up a complete nobody to run against the popular Sandoval at the top of the ticket that year.
Unfortunately for Democrats, the same attacks that proved potent in 2014 against a then-political neophyte may not do as much damage now that Laxalt has had a few years in office to burnish his credentials. Still, Laxalt's extremism could come back to haunt him in this swing state, such as his bragging about refusing to enforce a universal gun background check law in a state that recently witnessed the worst mass shooting in American history. However, that same militant conservatism likely makes him a favorite in the Republican primary against state Treasurer Dan Schwartz. Schwartz has a poor relationship with the party establishment and has already begun bashing Laxalt as too extreme, which isn’t exactly a winning message with GOP primary voters these days.