DEMOCRATIC incumbent Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada will keep her seat for a second term after narrowly beating Republican challenger Adam Laxalt in the 2022 midterm elections.
In this closely watched race in a battleground state, Cortez Masto garnered 48.8% of the vote (495,960) versus Laxalt’s 48% (488,158), according to results from the Nevada Secretary of State, as of this writing.
With her win, the Democrats will continue to control the U.S. Senate with 50 seats compared to the Republican Party with 49.
Cortez Masto was first elected to the Senate in 2016, becoming the country’s first Latina senator, after serving two terms as the state’s attorney general. She replaced the late Democratic Senator Harry Reid who shaped the Silver State’s politics.
She touted her first-term record of helping the state recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which took a toll on the state’s tourism and hospitality industries.
Leading up to election day, Cortez Masto campaigned and met with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders and community members on issues affecting the community from inflation to hate crimes.
Laxalt, whose grandfather and father were both served in the Nevada state Senate, succeeded Cortez Masto as attorney general before running for Senate in this election.
In a statement, Laxalt conceded, saying “I am confident that any challenge of this election would not alter the ultimate outcome.” He said he called Cortez Masto to “congratulate her on her win.” n
