Nevada Republican Adam Laxalt’s Senate campaign gears up for recount: report

As Republican Adam Laxalt’s lead in the Nevada Senate race dwindles with 93% of the vote counted, his campaign is reportedly “preparing for defeat” and weighing in with requests for a recount.

Laxalt is ahead of incumbent Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto by just 800 votes after 23,000 mail-in ballots were tabulated in Clark County on Friday. The results of the postal vote are 2-1 in favor of Cortez Masto. Clark County, home of Las Vegas, reportedly still has about 27,000 mail-in ballots that need to be counted.

“The mood isn’t great,” a Laxalt campaign adviser told the Daily Mail, adding that staff are looking for culprits.

“I’m saying this, internally the knives are out,” the person said, explaining that the campaign publicly projects trust while behind-the-scenes employees “adjust to a loss.”

The Laxalt campaign appears to be weighing whether or not to request a recount in the event of a loss, which would result in Laxalt’s team covering the associated costs.

“There is currently an internal discussion as to whether or not to request a nationwide recount,” the adviser told the Daily Mail. “And of course that would involve fundraising … so they’re working on identifying fundraisers.”

In a tweet on Friday, Laxalt dismissed claims his campaign was facing a loss.

“This is absolutely false,” the former Nevada Attorney General wrote in a tweet linking to the report.

“Absolutely nothing has changed since our Tucker interview or my tweet last night. We are awaiting the results tonight and expect their percentages to remain below what [Cortez Masto] needs. Nevertheless, we remain confident,” concluded Laxalt.

However, the Daily Mail also reports that alleged text messages between a Laxalt campaign operative and someone linked to the campaign further underscore the bleak internal outlook.

“Clark and Washoe [counties] Mail-in votes will be overwhelming [the Laxalt campaign’s] small lead,” read one message. “They thought there were a lot fewer votes left.”

“Trump World wants them to explain fraud before they continue to ‘find votes,'” read another message, which suggests the campaign is using Trump’s commonly used rhetoric about stolen elections.

The Nevada Senate race is key to determining which party will control the upper house of Congress. Republicans must win two of the three outstanding Senate races in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada to take the Senate.