Democrats losing support from Hispanic voters in key Nevada races, new poll shows

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A new poll released Thursday showed Democrats with a slight lead in the Nevada gubernatorial and Senate races ahead of November's midterm elections, but with significantly less support from Hispanic voters than in previous election cycles.

The poll, conducted by AARP, consisted of likely Nevada voters, and included oversamples of voters over the age of 50, as well as oversamples of Hispanic voters over the age of 50.

According to the poll, incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto leads with 44% support, compared to former Republican state Attorney General Adam Laxalt at 40%, while incumbent Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak leads Republican Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, 41% to 38%.

Cortez Masto has an 11% advantage over Laxalt with Hispanic voters, while Sisolak has a 14% advantage over Lombardo. That advantage drops to just 9% when only considering Hispanic voters over the age of 50.

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Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Despite the double-digit leads, both Democrats received significantly less support from Hispanics than they did in the 2016 election (Cortez Masto) and the 2018 election (Sisolak), which saw the demographic favoring the two candidates by more than 30% in each instance.

The more than 50% drop in Hispanic support for the two Democrats appeared to be a continuation of the trend taking shape across the country in which the party has hemorrhaged support from Latino voters to Republicans.

Republicans fared better than Democrats with all likely voters when it came to each candidate's likeability. 47% of voters viewed Laxalt unfavorably, slightly edging out Cortez Masto, who was viewed unfavorably by 48%. Lambardo held a more significant advantage over Sisolak, with 46% viewing him unfavorably compared to 53% for the latter.

The poll also showed Republicans holding a four percentage point lead over Democrats with all likely voters in a generic congressional ballot, 48% to 44%, as well as an underwater approval rating for President Biden at just 40%. Voters disapproving of Biden reached 58%.

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In this Tuesday, March 17, 2020 photo, Democrat Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak speaks during a news conference at the Sawyer State Building in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

When breaking down the issues voters over the age of 50 identified as their top concerns, a plurality said they were most concerned with those relating to the economy. 

In the gubernatorial race, 24% said they're most concerned with inflation and rising prices, while 11% said jobs and the economy. In the Senate race, 22% said they were most concerned about the economy or inflation.

Additionally, two-thirds of voters over 50 said inflation was a more important issue in the Senate race than the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Nevada Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt speaks during a panel on policing and security prior to former President Donald Trump giving remarks at Treasure Island hotel and casino on July 8, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Bridget Bennett/Getty Images)

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Just 25% of all likely voters felt the country was heading in the right direction, according to the poll.