Seaman-Cannizzaro race tight for state Senate District 6

CARSON CITY — A poll released Monday suggests a tight race in state Senate District 6, a contest that could determine whether Republicans retain a slim majority in the Nevada Senate after the November election.

Republican Assemblyman Victoria Seaman is running against Democratic candidate Nicole Cannizzaro for the open seat. Republicans hold an 11-10 majority in the upper house.

The telephone poll of 301 registered voters in the western Las Vegas Valley district was conducted Aug. 15-17 by The Tarrance Group. It showed Seaman, a conservative who opposed Gov. Brian Sandoval’s tax increases, edges Cannizzaro by 45 percent to 41 percent, a difference within the margin of error of 5.8 percentage points. Another 12 percent are undecided.

Peter Koltak, a spokesman for Senate Democrats, suggested the findings spell trouble for Seaman, who won a bitter primary against fellow Republican Assemblyman Erv Nelson to advance to the general election.

“It’s a bad sign for Republicans that despite spending more than $200,000 boosting herself in the primary, Victoria Seaman is stuck within the margin of error with little room to grow,” Koltak said in an email.

Robert Uithoven, a consultant to Seaman’s campaign, said the poll is a testament to her hard work.

“It is Victoria’s unwavering advocacy for the people of District 6 that has earned her the reputation of being one of the hardest working elected officials in the state, and despite a hard-fought primary, she still has better numbers than her opponent, who has faced no political competition or contrast messaging,” Uithoven said.

Cannizzaro had no primary opponent and advanced directly to the general election.

The survey also suggested Cannizzaro, who is backed by the Senate Democratic caucus, suffers from poor name recognition. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they have never heard of her, compared with 41 percent who were unfamiliar with Seaman.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district by nearly 4,300 active voters. Nearly 13,000 voters are registered as nonpartisan.

The poll also showed Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval enjoys a 62 percent approval rating among voters in the Clark County district, while 21 percent disapprove of the job he is doing in his second term and 17 percent are unsure.

Nevada Jobs Coalition, a political action committee supported by Sandoval’s own PAC, commissioned the poll.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Find @SandraChereb on Twitter.