Sanctuary policies and higher taxes are at stake in this election, Republican candidates said at an election-eve rally.
Attorney General Adam Laxalt told a group of Republicans Monday night that Democrats would bring higher taxes, especially property taxes, and turn Nevada into a sanctuary state. A “likely” Democratic majority in the Legislature, Laxalt said, could give a veto-proof majority. Term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval issued 41 vetoes out of the 2017 legislative session.
“This is a tough business, this business gets tougher by the year as we all know, and it’s especially tough when you’re doing it with three kids under five and two in diapers,” Laxalt said. “ … Think about what our state will look like if we do not elect a Republican this year. We will look like California not in five years, we will look like California in five months.”
The Legislature convenes in February, and Republican candidates voiced concerns at the rally about Democrats getting enough votes to overturn vetoes from the governor.
Lieutenant governor candidate and state Sen. Michael Roberson, in office since 2010 representing Henderson, said last session was the most “anti-business, pro-felon legislative agenda in state history,” pointing to vetoes such as the so-called ban-the-box measure, which would generally have pushed consideration of criminal history to the end of the hiring process for state jobs.
“If not for a Republican governor and those 41 vetoes, those things would all be reality today, and this state would look very different today,” Roberson said, also pointing to Democratic attempts to pass sanctuary policies.
Clark County Commission Chairman and Democratic candidate for governor Steve Sisolak has not said directly whether he would have vetoed a sanctuary bill proposed in the 2017 session.
“That's not something that we are advocating,” he said Oct. 5. “Not something as we've defined — there is no definition of what a sanctuary state or city is, and this is just the opponent again trying to fabricate and come up with issues."
Former Gov. Bob List introduced Laxalt and said the AG understands the entire state, from the government to its people as well as Clark County. He said that the race is tight and that every vote is going to count.
“This guy has a heart for Nevada, and a heart for people,” List said. “Unlike his opponent, he’s a man of great integrity.”
Congressional candidate Danny Tarkanian, who has run for various offices in the state and is the son of UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, acknowledged that Republicans were behind in early voting, but that Republicans tend to show up on Election Day. Tarkanian faces Democrat Susie Lee in the race to fill the seat held by Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, who is running against GOP Sen. Dean Heller. Tarkanian said tonight’s rally was the last of a very long campaign.
“My father used to say when he coached basketball, he would say, ‘Whatever you do, you leave everything you have on the floor, you leave nothing left, you have no regrets and whatever the outcome is be happy with the outcome because you have no regrets,’” Tarkanian said. “I don’t believe our campaign has anything left that we could possibly do otherwise.”
Congressional candidate Cresent Hardy previously held the seat that he is running against Democrat Steven Horsford, who had also represented the district.
“We are at a threshold in this life, in Nevada life,” he said. “ … Our state has really taken a misdirection over the years, and I think we’re at the threshold to make sure that we turn it back and turn it to a red state that provides that economic opportunity.”
Wes Duncan, running for attorney general against Aaron Ford, criticized Ford for his years-old arrests and tax liens. He said Republicans will support the rule of law and people in uniform.
“We’re going to listen to law enforcement who said you need to tackle the big issues like mental health, domestic violence, economic development in your state,” Duncan said. “… As your next attorney general, we’re going to stand with law enforcement and the people who wear the uniform in this state and make sure that they have the resources, and they have what they need to get the job done to keep our communities safe.”
Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald said Republicans are united and don’t take their voters for granted.
“Tomorrow night you’re going to celebrate when we turn this entire state red,” McDonald said.