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Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt focused on his childhood in his first TV ad of the general election, where he is taking on Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.
“I was raised by a single mom with no college education. And as a kid, I didn’t know who my father was,” Laxalt says in the 30-second spot. His wife, Jaime, adds, “Adam’s early life wasn’t easy.”
The ad comes after Cortez Masto’s campaign launched an ad painting Laxalt as someone who lived a “charmed life” and leveraged his family’s political background. His grandfather, Paul Laxalt, served as Nevada’s governor and senator. In 2013, former New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici revealed that he was Laxalt’s father, and that he had an affair with Laxalt’s mother outside of his marriage.
Laxalt’s ad focuses instead on his mother, with Laxalt saying she “taught me everything — to face challenges head on and to work hard.” The ad will run on broadcast and cable networks, according to Laxalt’s campaign.
Laxalt’s campaign has been vastly outspent on the airwaves since the June primary, spending just $65,000 through Monday on digital and radio ads to Cortez Masto’s $6.5 million, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact.
Outside GOP groups have tried to make up the difference, spending $10.9 million on ads, while Democratic outside groups have spent $12.1 million on ads so far.