In a victory for the Democrats in a swing state, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada defeated former state attorney general Adam Laxalt in her race for reelection.

Given that Nevada had one of the GOP’s best opportunities to pick up a seat, the victory is good news for the Democratic Party’s effort to maintain Senate control. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, and Herschel Walker, a Republican, will face off in a runoff election in Georgia on December 6. The Nevada race was one of the last settled U.S. Senate races.
Since 2017, Cortez Masto has served as Nevada’s senator from the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Latina to be elected to the body. The late Sen. Harry Reid, who held the position from 1987 to 2017, was replaced by the former state attorney general.

Abortion rights and comprehensive immigration reform were key issues in the Nevada Democrat’s campaign. She forewarned that if Laxalt, who was supported by former President Donald Trump, were to win, Senate Republicans would attempt to push for a complete abortion ban.

Cortez Masto also praised the Inflation Reduction Act, which she claimed will lower costs and make health care more accessible, as one of the most well-liked policies of the Biden administration.
From 2007 to 2015, Cortez Masto was the attorney general of Nevada for two terms.