Republicans have opened a legitimate lead in Nevada’s closely watched U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races, according to the latest Ipsos poll.
In the race to replace Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, who is leaving due to Nevada term limiting its governors to two terms, the online poll shows Republican Adam Laxalt (pictured) holding a 46 to 41 percent lead with likely voters over Democrat Steve Sisolak.
If accurate, this is good news for Laxalt, the second poll in a row to show him pulling away from what had been a squeaker of a race.
According to the poll, immigration is now the most important issue in this race, an issue that benefits both Republican candidates.
“The top issue in determining the vote in Nevada is immigration (21%). On this issue, 42% of likely voters feel that Laxalt has a better policy, as opposed to Sisolak (30%),” the pollster writes.
In the race for U.S. Senate, incumbent Republican Dean Heller is up six points with likely voters, 47 to 41 percent, over Democrat Jacky Rosen. This is the second poll in a row that gives Heller some breathing room in what had also been a tight race.
Heller holds a 10 point lead on the issue of immigration, 43 to 33 percent.
Democrats had been counting on Nevada for a pick up.
A full 50 percent of Nevada’s likely voters approve of the job President Trump is doing, compared to 49 percent who do not.
As far as the generic ballot, Nevada prefers a generic Republican over a generic Democrat by 5 points, 47 to 42 percent.
On the issue of who is motivated to vote, there is no sign of a blue wave in Nevada. Although Trump lost Nevada by two points in 2016, the poll found that “50% of likely voters said they were motivated to vote for a candidate who will oppose President Trump, compared to 49% who said they were not.”
If there were a blue wave, especially in a state Trump lost, those numbers would not be statistically tied.
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