Wednesday, July 25, 2018 | 2 a.m.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt speaks during his Primary Eve campaign event, Monday, Jun 11, 2018.
Gov. Brian Sandoval’s term-limit clock is down to five months and change, but he appears to be doing something very important for Nevadans on his way out of office.
That something is not endorsing Adam Laxalt as his successor.
In a story Sunday about how backlash to President Donald Trump’s extremism was creating opportunities for Democrats to take over leadership in state governments, The New York Times said Laxalt was being “hindered by the refusal of Gov. Brian Sandoval — a more moderate Republican, who is departing — to endorse him.”
Offered a chance to refute or clarify the Times’ story Monday, the governor’s office said Sandoval declined to comment “further than the quote in the Times.”
Very interesting.
Assuming that Sandoval won’t endorse Laxalt, he deserves credit for putting the interests of Nevadans above politics. That’s something Sandoval has done in the past, most notably with his moderate stances on immigration and his early adoption of Medicaid expansion. It’s inspiring that he’s continuing to do it now as he prepares to leave office.
Moderate Republicans should take note, because a victory for Laxalt in November would be a setback for Nevada.
Laxalt’s fringe-right views put him sharply out of step with the majority of Nevadans on a number of issues, and that’s not just opinion. His opposition to abortion runs counter to the results of the state’s 1990 vote on the Freedom of Choice Act, which passed
