Poll: Lombardo, Laxalt win primaries easily; Cortez Masto best-liked politician

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo has a comfortable lead in the Nevada Republican gubernatorial primary as does Adam Laxalt in the Republican senate primary, according to a poll released last week by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Election Survey Project.

The poll got about 1,100 responses in a survey that was done both online and using return mail responses.

It showed Lombardo had 47 percent support among Republicans, followed by former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller at 14 percent and Reno lawyer Joey Gilbert at 12 percent.

In a general election race, the poll showed Gov. Steve Sisolak with 43 percent of the vote against Lombardo’s 31 percent. It showed Sisolak with 44 percent of the vote against Heller’s 21 percent. Sisolak got 43 percent of the vote against Gilbert’s17 percent.

In the Republican senate primary, Laxalt got 57 percent of the vote in the polls with Sam Brown at 31 percent. In a hypothetical primary, Catherine Cortez Masto got 48 percent of the against Laxalt’s 27 percent. Cortez Masto got 47 percent of the vote against Brown’s 24 percent.

There were no polling numbers for U.S. House of Representative races.

On the abortion issues, 57 percent thought abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Thirty-six percent thought it should be illegal in all cases. Eighty percent supported abortion if the pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health and 76 percent supported abortion for pregnancy caused by rape.

Nevada’s law allows for legal abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Fifty-three percent o Nevadans supported it, with 73 percent of Democrats supporting keeping it that way, 33 percent of Republicans and 42 percent of independent voters.

On the issue of vote counting, 58 percent thought U.S. elections are counted fairly and accurately, with 82 percent support among Democrats, 34 percent among Republicans and 43 percent among independents.

As to vote counting locally, 63 percent thought it was fair and accurate, 86 percent among Democrats, 39 percent among Republicans and 46 percent among independents.

The most important issues among all voters were inflation, health care, crime, water conservation and free speech, in that order. For Democrats, it was health care, inflation, climate change, crime and water conversation. For Republicans, it was inflation, crime, immigration, free speech and health care.

In rating politicians, Cortez Masto received the highest rating among all those polled and also among Democrats. The highest rated politician among Republicans is ex-President Donald Trump, who was the lowest rated among Democrats. The lowest rated among Republicans is Vice President Kamala Harris.