Politics

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Runs Away From Questions About Biden Campaigning

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Michael Ginsberg Congressional Correspondent
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Embattled Democratic Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto acknowledged and then ran away from an individual who asked her whether she would campaign with President Joe Biden, video obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller shows.

Cortez Masto, considered one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats, is leading Republican challenger Adam Laxalt by only 1.5 points in the FiveThirtyEight tracker. Biden held a 30% approval rating in the state in a poll released July 1, and has struggled extensively with Latino voters, who make up 20% of the Nevada electorate.

Cortez Masto held a campaign event Aug. 12 at the grand opening of a Tacos El Gordo franchise in Las Vegas. After the event, an attendee approached her, asking if Cortez Masto would campaign with Biden.

“Sen. Masto, will you campaign with Biden this fall?” the attendee asks as Cortez Masto turns around, looks at her, and nods. (RELATED: POLL: Democratic Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Neck And Neck With GOP Challenger)

“Will you campaign with Biden this fall?” the woman continues, as she is cut off by an aide repeatedly saying, “excuse me.”

WATCH:

“Will you please answer for your constituents?” the woman asks as a group of aides hustles Cortez Masto away.

The Cortez Masto campaign did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment on the exchange, as well as whether she would campaign with Biden in the future. Cortez Masto skipped an Aug. 10 abortion access event with Vice President Kamala Harris, with her campaign claiming that she would be unable to attend since the appearance was not campaign-related. Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford met with Harris and visited the MGM Grand casino kitchen with the vice president.

Many Democrats running in swing states have avoided attending events with Biden and Harris. Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee in Ohio’s Senate race, skipped the president’s early July visit to Cleveland. His campaign claimed that Ryan had a scheduling conflict, and the ten-term representative has declined to endorse Biden’s presumed 2024 re-election campaign.

Similarly, Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams skipped a January event at Clark Atlanta University in which Biden called on senators to eliminate the filibuster and pass legislation nationalizing election laws. Like Ryan, Abrams claimed to have a scheduling conflict.

Cortez Masto has highlighted her relationship with the Biden family in the past. Then-Vice President Biden campaigned for Cortez Masto during her successful first election. She described the late Beau Biden as “a dear friend” in Biden 2020 campaign material.