Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt speaks to the crowd. (Photo: Steve Ranson/NNG)
The buzz at this year’s sixth annual Basque Fry hovered on former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt and if he would announce a run for U.S. Senate.
After several high-profile speakers lauded Laxalt and his background as a formidable candidate against current Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, he filed late Sunday to run against the first-term senator. Afghanistan war veteran Sam Brown, who has been on the campaign trail for several weeks, has also announced he’s running for the senate seat.
The Basque Fry at the Corley Ranch south of Gardnerville brings together thousands of Republicans from almost every Nevada county and a number of the party faithful from California. In addition to the speakers, vendors set up information booths to promote their causes or candidates, several of whom who are running for governor. The event also included a Basque lunch with sausage and lamb fries (testicles).
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Cotton of Arkansas both said Laxalt would be a good senator from Nevada.
“I hope he wins election to the U.S. Senate in 2022,” said DeSantis, who recorded his remarks for the 4,000 people who attended the Basque Fry.
DeSantis remained in Florida because of a strong tropical storm that took aim on the state’s panhandle. Both DeSantis and Laxalt have known each other for more than a decade as officers in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps. Both men deployed to Iraq at the same time.
DeSantis’ comments, though, turned to President Joe Biden, which brought both some laughter and applause.
“Even though I can’t be with you, I seem to be living rent free in Joe Biden’s head,” DeSantis said.
The first-term Florida governor pointed out Biden has pursued the most divisive agenda in our lifetime. DeSantis also discussed his governing during the coronavirus pandemic.
“In Florida, citizens are free to make their own decisions about how to govern their affairs,” he said, adding there are no lockdowns or school closures in his state.
Laxalt, the grandson of former Nevada governor and U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt, an icon in Silver State politics, said the country is rapidly moving in the wrong direction.
“We’ve seen these terrible radical leftist ideas … starting in academia and intellectual circles and being pushed in our culture,” he said.
Laxalt also slammed “the media and elites” for not supporting law enforcement and saying all police are systemically racist. He said there’s no support for our leaders and crime is spiking.
Laxalt also spoke of the lockdowns implemented because of COVID-19 and had a shout out to DeSantis.
“We know Gov. DeSantis shows we can balance these things and keep things open and protect the vulnerable,” Laxalt said. “Florida showed a different path.”
As he concluded his comments, Laxalt said a cancer is spreading into the American culture against white privilege. Laxalt took exception.
“Our framers gave us the freest nation one earth,” he said. “America is the greatest nation for a reason.”
Laxalt urged his fellow Republicans to stand up for their state and country.
Cotton drew loud applause when he took the stage and said he was in Nevada to support Laxalt. The second-term senator first attended the Basque Fry in 2017.
Cotton told his 6-year-old son he was going on a short trip to California and Nevada. Cotton said his son knew his father was going to the Battle Born state because the motto is on the flag.
“What a great motto to be Battle Born,” Cotton said. “Nevada needs to fight for freedom over the next 15 months. Right now the Democrats are in charge in Washington, but we are going to change that in 2022. And that change starts right here in Nevada when Adam Laxalt sends Cathy Cortez Masto packing home to Nevada.”
Cotton, who grew up on his family’s cattle ranch in rural Arkansas, said no one is better than Laxalt.
Like DeSantis and Laxalt, Cotton served as an officer in the military. The Harvard-educated Cotton completed the Army’s Officer Candidate School and earned his Ranger tab before deploying to Iraq. He also spent time in Afghanistan. Cotton said he joined the Army after Sept. 11, 2001, and went overseas to protect the United States from enemies who wanted to attack the country.
His focus then turned to the intense fight among lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
“As we learn from the Army, you only take fire when you’re close to the enemy,” he said.
Congressman Mark Amodei, who represents 11 Nevada counties in Congressional District 2, said elections have consequences.
“Next year, we’ll decide who Joe Biden deals with in the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Amodei said.
Amodei, who served with Cotton in Congress from 2013-15, said issues facing Biden would include border security, the price at the gas pumps and foreign policy, especially with how the administration is dealing with Afghanistan.
The Carson City native thanked rural Nevada voters. He said voters in 15 counties — other than Clark or Washoe — gave former President Donald Trump a 75,000-vote lead before ballots from the two largest counties were tallied. He said Washoe County and Clark gave the edge to Biden.
Amodei, who has won the vote in Washoe County for all six of his elections to Congress, told the Nevada News Group he will make an announcement on his future plans in October. Speculation has centered on him running for governor, but Amodei wouldn't confirm.
Former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, who lost a close race to Jacky Rosen in 2018, has also been linked to a possible run for governor. He informed the Nevada News Group Saturday afternoon he will have a “very important announcement” in mid-September on his political future.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Heller has served on a number of boards, several that are nonprofit.
Max Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, met with attendees before the program started and afterward.
“I’m a big fan of Adam Laxalt,” Schlapp said. “He’s a strong conservative. The Senate needs courageous young voices.”
Schlapp said Laxalt has a good chance to defeat Cortez Masto as long as the elections are conducted fairly.
