A dozen family members come out against GOP nominee for governor

Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s push to become the state’s next Republican governor suffered an awkward, personal hit this week when 12 members of his family implored voters not to support him.

“We are writing as members of the Laxalt family who have spent our lives in Nevada, and feel compelled to protect our family name from being leveraged and exploited by Adam Laxalt, the Republican candidate for governor,” the relatives wrote.

“Over the years, we’ve always supported our family, even when we haven’t always agreed with them or their politics,” they stressed. “But as this Election Day nears, we feel compelled to speak publicly about why we believe that Adam Laxalt is the wrong choice for Nevada’s governorship.”

One of their biggest beefs with the Republican nominee is his hollow claim that he was born and raised in Nevada.

“For those of us who were actually raised in Nevada, it’s difficult to hear him continue to falsely claim that he was raised in Nevada or has any true connections to Nevadans,” the Laxalt family wrote.

They note that he moved to Washington, D.C. when he was an infant and only returned to Nevada five years ago in order to try to launch a political career, and “to satisfy his enormous political ambitions.”

The Laxalt name is a famous one in Nevada politics. Paul Laxalt served as governor and then as U.S. senator for more than a decade. Adam is the son of Paul Laxalt’s daughter, Michelle.

Today, the Laxalt relatives also think candidate Laxalt is bought and paid for by out-of-state donors and that he puts national GOP interests ahead of local Nevada concerns, in part because he isn’t really a Nevadan.

“Aside from the occasional short visit, Adam never knew the state or its people,” Laxalt’s family noted. “Perhaps if he had, he would stand for Nevada’s values rather than for those of his out-of-state donors.”

They fear that  public land will become less accessible, while school funding gets gutted if he’s elected.

They also raise concerns about his record on health care. Last year, Laxalt opposed the state’s Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, a move that allowed more than 200,000 Nevadans to gain access to health care.

The relatives also point out that as the state’s attorney general, Laxalt has “proceeded to undermine, time after time, not only twice-elected Governor Brian Sandoval, but the welfare of all Nevadans.”

Sandoval, who is term-limited, is a moderate, pro-choice, pro-Obamacare Republican governor and remains popular in the state. He has repeatedly refused to endorse Laxalt to replace him.

Laxalt’s relatives also raise questions about whether he is even qualified to lead the state.

“Most concerning,” they conclude, “are the ethical shortcomings that have come to light while Adam has been attorney general, and his willingness to ignore the law for self-serving political purposes.”

Laxalt’s family rebuke isn’t the first one of its kind for a Republican candidate this election cycle. In September, six siblings of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) starred in a campaign ad for Gosar’s Democratic rival, urging voters not to vote for their birther brother.

Sometimes, family knows best.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.