President Donald Trump lifted his attention from the FBI and the Mueller probe last week long enough to disrupt the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Nevada.
As most listeners know by now, Trump asked Danny Tarkanian – a Trump supporter through and through – to step aside and not challenge incumbent Dean Heller.
Tarkanian did as asked. He then moved over to Congressional District 3, the district he lost to Jacky Rosen in 2016.
But CD3 won't be a cakewalk for Tarkanian, who has run for office numerous times but never won. He will be facing off in the primary against State Senator Scott Hammond and former Assemblywoman Victoria Seaman and former TV reporter Michelle Mortensen. All three are popular and well-known.
CD3, which is in the southeast corner of Las Vegas and encompasses Henderson, has gone Republican before - Joe Heck held the seat before his ill-fated run for the Senate in 2016. But Heck is a moderate.
John L. Smith says it remains to be seen how Heller will fare after Tarkanian's switch. Will he feel freer to go back to his moderate roots? Or does Trump's hand in the election make him beholden to the president's brand of ultra-conservatism?
Also, the NBA might want a slice of the sports betting pie. And how about those Wolfpack!
John L. Smith, contributor
