Las Vegas at center of tight contests for Senate, governor

By MICHELLE L. PRICE
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two weeks of early voting started Saturday in Nevada, one of the most competitive states in this year’s midterm elections. Democrats have edged out Republicans in the swing state in recent years, but this year they’re facing headwinds from anxiety about the economy. The governor’s mansion and the Senate seat held by Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto are considered two of the Republican Party’s best chances to flip statewide offices around the U.S. Much of the race has focused on Las Vegas, the gambling mecca that drives the state’s economy and is home to three-quarters of the state’s population.