Sharron Angle, the Republican nominee for Senate in Nevada against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, has already lost one big-name Republican in the state: Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, who had previously supported Sue Lowden in the GOP primary — and now says he’s supporting Harry Reid.
“I think Sharron Angle is just too far to the right for me,” Cashell said on Wednesday, in an interview with the local NBC affiliate. “She’s an ultra-right winger. I can’t support her. I don’t support her.”
Cashell elaborated: “Oh she’s wild. She’s wild. I mean, with the wild ideas she has going back to Washington, our state will suffer and we would never get anything done. And so I’m supporting Harry Reid, and I will go all the way for Harry Reid.”
We asked the state Republican Party whether they have any concerns about other Republicans who might not be ready to back Angle. “No we don’t,” said communications director Ciara Matthews. “We don’t for the simple fact that Sharron Angle was elected with 40% of the vote on primary election night, which tells us that moderate Republicans are willing to go out and vote for her, even if there is a moderate candidate that they also have to choose from. We’re confident that moderate Republicans, independents and even Democrats will support Sharron Angle, because they’re all concerned about the issues affect the state of Nevada.”
Nevertheless, Reid might want to be careful about his newfound ally Cashell, as he’s not too shy about criticizing his own candidate if mistakes are being made. During the GOP primary, when the one-time frontrunner Lowden was self-destructing from one gaffe after another, Cashell gave her the nickname “Suicidal Sue” — but also made it clear that he was still supporting her.
Cashell’s office and the Angle campaign did not return our requests for further comment.
