Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

politics:

Gov. Brian Sandoval sticking with Rick Perry despite slide in polls

Brian Sandoval

Brian Sandoval

Rick Perry

Rick Perry

Gov. Brian Sandoval is standing by his endorsement of Rick Perry for the Republican nomination for president despite the Texas governor's steep drop in public opinion polls.

In September, Sandoval announced his endorsement of Perry saying he had the strongest record of job creation, fiscal discipline and executive branch leadership among the GOP contenders. Sandoval was considered a key endorsement prize for the candidates looking to compete in Nevada, which will likely be a key battleground state.

Perry enjoyed a spike in the polls as he announced his candidacy in August but after a series of poor debate performances now finds himself with about 10 percent of the vote in most polls of Republican voters. Herman Cain, who is dealing with allegations of sexual harassment from his past, is in the mid-20 percent range as is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Speaking of the Republican field, Sandoval criticized Cain's tax plan, which would impose a 9 percent sales tax in addition to Nevada's sales tax. The state sales tax ranges from 6.8 percent in many rural counties to 8.1 percent in Clark County. Sandoval said he opposed it because it raises taxes.

The governor said Cain has not yet fully explained his sales tax plan and has modified his stance during a recent debate. Cain is suggesting a flat nine percent income tax, a nine percent corporate tax and the nine percent national sales tax.

The governor told reporters he expects Perry will campaign in Nevada but nothing is solid yet. Nevada's Republican caucus is set for Feb. 4.

Perry outlined his tax plan last month, calling for a flat tax that would permit anybody, regardless of income, to pay a rate of 20 percent. Those with income less than $12,500 would be exempt, and households with incomes less than $500,000 would still be able to deduct mortgage interest and charitable contributions.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy