There is a growing informal group of younger Republican men seeking to remake the GOP Senate Caucus in the political image of Donald Trump.
Writing in The New York Times, Matthew Rosenberg explained how the GOP Senate nominee in Nevada presents himself to voters.
"With his Georgetown law degree, connections to Republican luminaries in Washington and a grandfather once known as Ronald Reagan’s 'first friend,' Adam Laxalt could easily be mistaken as a legacy candidate," Rosenberg wrote. "But as he runs in perhaps the most competitive Senate race in the country, he has shed much of his political inheritance. Mr. Laxalt, 44, has positioned himself as a child of the Trump era, embracing culture clashes over 'wokeness' and election conspiracy theories."
Laxalt's father is former GOP Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico.
"With just under one week to go before Election Day, polling shows Mr. Laxalt virtually tied with his Democratic opponent, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. Should he win, he would join a growing number of young men — yes, they are mostly men, and, yes, they are young by the Senate’s standards — who represent the party’s Trumpian future," the newspaper reported. "Some are Senate veterans, such as Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Others, like J.D. Vance in Ohio and Ted Budd of North Carolina, are in races similarly close to the one in Nevada."
This is also an informal MAGA caucus in the House of Representatives,
"Trump-style Republicanism hasn’t been an easy fit in Nevada, where voters often prefer moderates and the titans of the gambling and tourism industry have typically favored predictability over ideology," the newspaper reported. "To Republican critics and even some members of his family, the younger Mr. Laxalt’s embrace of Mr. Trump and those conspiracy theories is a profound betrayal of the legacy left by his grandfather, who died in 2018. Last month, 14 of his relatives endorsed Ms. Cortez Masto."
Read the full report.
