Republican tepid on Trump in Nevada gubernatorial debate
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada's Republican gubernatorial candidate, Joe Lombardo, sought in a debate on Sunday to distance himself from former President Donald Trump over his lies about the 2020 election, but said Trump's policies were better than those under the Biden administration, which he blames for inflation and rising interest rates.
“It’s an abysmal failure. In my opinion Trump moved the country forward," Lombardo said. But when asked whether Trump was “a great president,” Lombardo hesitated, saying, “I wouldn’t say great, I think he was a sound president."
Lombardo said he was bothered by Trump's false claims of a stolen election, saying that he was “not shying away from that" and agreeing that Trump lying about election fraud undermined the confidence of the voters.
Trump is scheduled to campaign for Lombardo next weekend, setting up a potentially awkward meeting.
The debate with incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak was a mostly cordial exchange animated by subjects that are defining midterm races across the country: abortion rights, the economy and inflation, education and crime, which by some measures is up in the Las Vegas area where Lombardo has spent his career in law enforcement and has served as sheriff since 2015.
A third of registered voters in Nevada are Democrats, while nonpartisan voters barely edge out Republicans, making the contest among the nation's most closely watched. Nonpartisan registration has outpaced both major parties this year and Democratic registration has largely stalled, with some switching their registration to Republican.
ABORTION
Echoing efforts by Democrats nationwide, Sisolak sought to make abortion access a campaign centerpiece, saying voters “have a clear choice in this race.” It’s a tricky topic for Lombardo, who has...