RENO, NV - A new poll shows Nevada Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt leading Democrat incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto 43-40. The poll was conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University. This comes just days after another poll - conducted by a Democrat firm - showed Laxalt leading Cortez Masto by seven points and tied among Nevada Hispanic voters. Both that poll and this newest one show Cortez Masto polling at only 40 percent, despite having spent 13 years in statewide office. "This poll further confirms what we already knew to be true: Catherine Cortez Masto is the most vulnerable Senate incumbent in America and Adam Laxalt is taking the fight to her," said Laxalt for Senate Communications Director John Burke. "Nevadans are stepping up to reject the empty promises of Cortez Masto and the Democrats and rallying behind a conservative fighter who will give them the voice they deserve in the U.S. Senate. Adam Laxalt's momentum is unmistakable, he's going to flip this seat in November." The Reno Gazette-Journal reports: “Any time an incumbent polls under 50%, he or she is deemed vulnerable because they are established brands,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston. “Moreover, when incumbents poll at or below 40% it is much worse, because it is very difficult to convince undecideds to vote for you when they remain undecided despite telling us that they are very interested in voting in this election.” Multiple outlets, including the Cook Political Report and National Journal have labeled Cortez Masto the most vulnerable Senator seeking re-election this year. Just yesterday, Nevada's Senate seat was rated by National Journal as the second most likely seat to flip in America, only behind the open seat in Pennsylvania.
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