Adam Laxalt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Laxalt
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Laxalt in 2016
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| 33rd Attorney General of Nevada | |
| In office January 5, 2015 – January 7, 2019 |
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| Governor | Brian Sandoval |
| Preceded by | Catherine Cortez Masto |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Ford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 31, 1978 Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jaime Laxalt |
| Children | 4 |
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| Relatives | Paul Laxalt (grandfather) |
| Education |
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| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2005–2010 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Judge Advocate General's Corps |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Joint Service Commendation Medal |
Adam Paul Laxalt (born August 31, 1978) is an American lawyer and politician. He was the 33rd Nevada Attorney General from 2015 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party. He ran for governor of Nevada in 2018 and for the U.S. Senate in 2022, but did not win either election.
Laxalt is the son of former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici from New Mexico. His grandfather was Paul Laxalt, who was a governor and U.S. senator for Nevada. Adam Laxalt studied at Georgetown University and its law school. He worked as an aide for important government officials. He also worked as a lawyer and served in the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps from 2005 to 2010.
In 2014, Laxalt was elected as the Nevada Attorney General. He served one term, from 2015 to 2019. In 2018, he ran for governor of Nevada but lost to Steve Sisolak, a Democrat.
Laxalt helped with Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign in Nevada. After the 2020 election, he claimed there was widespread fraud in Nevada's election, but these claims were not proven. He tried to change the election results after Trump lost.
Later, Laxalt ran for the United States Senate in 2022. He became the Republican candidate. He lost the election by a small number of votes to the person already in office, Catherine Cortez Masto.
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Early Life and Education
Adam Laxalt was born in Reno, Nevada. His father was Pete Domenici, a Republican U.S. Senator from New Mexico. His mother was Michelle Laxalt. He is also the grandson of Paul Laxalt, who was a Republican governor and U.S. Senator for Nevada. His mother raised him by herself.
After finishing high school at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia, Laxalt went to Tulane University. After two years, he moved to Georgetown University. He graduated in 2001 with a degree in political science and government. He then earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005.
Career in Law and Politics
Laxalt first worked for John R. Bolton, who was an Under Secretary of State. Then he worked for U.S. Senator John Warner from Virginia. After working in Washington, Laxalt joined a law firm called Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie in Reno. He left the firm in 2014 to focus on his campaign for Attorney General of Nevada.
Military Service
Laxalt served for five years in the United States Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps. This is a group of lawyers who work for the military. He was stationed in Italy at Naval Air Station Sigonella and also served in Iraq. He also taught law as an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Attorney General of Nevada
After working as a lawyer, Laxalt decided to run for Nevada Attorney General. In January 2014, he announced he was running. He became the Republican candidate for the election. After a tough campaign, Laxalt won against the Democratic candidate, Ross Miller.
Laxalt became the Attorney General of Nevada on January 5, 2015. As Attorney General, he created a special "Federalism Unit" in his office. This unit challenged some federal rules, especially those about protecting the environment. He also joined lawsuits against the Obama administration over rules about overtime pay and immigration programs like DACA.
Laxalt also worked to help veterans. He created the Office of Military Legal Assistance. This office offered free legal help to military veterans.
Running for Governor in 2018
Laxalt was the Republican candidate for governor of Nevada in the 2018 election. He won the Republican nomination against four other candidates. However, he lost the general election to the Democratic candidate, Steve Sisolak. Sisolak became the first Democrat to win the governorship in 20 years. Sisolak received about 49.4% of the votes, while Laxalt received about 45.3%.
During his campaign, Laxalt talked about his healthcare plans. He was against the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." However, he promised not to cut Medicaid coverage. Medicaid helps provide healthcare to people with lower incomes.
President Donald Trump supported Laxalt in his campaign. However, the current Republican governor, Brian Sandoval, did not support any candidate. Sandoval and Laxalt often had disagreements on topics like taxes and environmental rules.
Involvement in the 2020 Election
Adam Laxalt helped lead Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign in Nevada. Before the election, he tried to stop the counting of early votes from Clark County. This county is the most populated and tends to vote for Democrats.
After Trump lost Nevada to Joe Biden, Laxalt claimed there was a lot of voter fraud in Nevada. He said this without showing clear proof. He and other Trump campaign officials tried to change the election results. For example, Laxalt said that over 3,000 voters in Clark County were not residents. But many of these people were military personnel or students who are allowed to vote in Nevada even if they don't live there full-time.
Laxalt also claimed that many mail-in ballots were only checked by machines that couldn't match signatures. However, ballots that machines couldn't check were actually reviewed by people.
Running for U.S. Senate in 2022
In August 2021, Laxalt announced he would run for the United States Senate in 2022. He challenged the person already in office, Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto. In his announcement video, he said that certain groups were "taking over America." This election was expected to be one of the most competitive Senate races in 2022.
Laxalt won the Republican primary election in June 2022. On November 12, 2022, news outlets announced that Cortez Masto had won the election. This meant that Democrats would control the Senate.
Recent Activities
In April 2023, Laxalt became the leader of a group called the Never Back Down Super PAC. This group supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for President in 2024. Laxalt left this role in November 2023.
Personal Life
Adam Laxalt is married to Jaime Laxalt. They have four children together.
Electoral History
Adam Laxalt has run in several elections. Here are some of his results:
- 2014 Nevada Attorney General Election:
* Adam Laxalt (Republican): 251,539 votes (46.21%) - Won * Ross Miller (Democrat): 246,671 votes (45.31%)
- 2018 Nevada Gubernatorial Election:
* Steve Sisolak (Democrat): 480,007 votes (49.39%) - Won * Adam Laxalt (Republican): 440,320 votes (45.31%)
- 2022 United States Senate Election in Nevada:
* Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, incumbent): 498,316 votes (48.81%) - Won * Adam Laxalt (Republican): 490,388 votes (48.04%)
See also
In Spanish: Adam Laxalt para niños
