Tarkanian touts poll showing Republican primary lead

Danny Tarkanian, the Republican businessman challenging Dean Heller in next year’s U.S. Senate GOP primary, used fundraising email blasts last week to tout a new poll that had him up 6 percentage points over the incumbent.

In that poll, conducted by Louisiana-based polling firm JMC Analytics, 44 percent of polled Nevada Republicans said they would vote for Tarkanian, compared with 38 percent for Heller.

The poll surveyed 500 Nevadans and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points, according to the poll results, and was conducted independently by the polling firm.

But a previous poll conducted by JMC in August had Tarkanian ahead by 8 points, so it would seem that the primary race is tightening up. That August poll had Tarkanian at 39 percent to Heller’s 31 percent. It also had a higher number of undecided respondents.

Nevada’s U.S. Senate race has national implications, as Republicans hold their majority by only three seats.

And a contested primary for Heller’s seat could weaken the Republican hold on the seat come general election time.

“Senator Heller faces a substantial primary challenge from Danny Tarkanian in a race that ultimately could determine partisan control of the U.S. Senate,” the poll’s summary read.

Who’s in for 2018?

■ Adam Laxalt, Nevada’s Republican attorney general, made his long-expected campaign for governor official this week, and did so with a surprisingly personal speech.

■ The day after Laxalt announced his gubernatorial run, Republican Wes Duncan, Laxalt’s former No. 2 in the attorney general’s office, kicked off his own campaign to be the state’s next attorney general.

New endorsements

■ The Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trade Council, which represents more than a dozen craft unions, endorsed Democrat Aaron Ford in the race for attorney general.

■ Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus threw her support behind fellow Democrat Steve Sisolak in the gubernatorial race.

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ Coltonlochhead on Twitter.