Laxalt

=politico puff?
 Cheney calls him “courageous” and says electing him “is of the highest priority.”

John Bolton traveled across the country to headline a fundraiser for him. Newt Gingrich, Frank Fahrenkopf, Tom Ridge and Ed Meese (remember him?) all appeared at the same D.C. event to celebrate his candidacy. Donald Rumsfeld gave him a personal check for $5,000, part of a half-million-dollar haul.

Who is this remarkable contender attracting such a list of national GOP luminaries? What remarkably accomplished figure could warrant such attention? Who can command encomia from a former vice president, attorney general, defense secretary, House speaker, chairman of the Republican National Committee and Homeland Security secretary?

Adam Laxalt, that’s who.

Who?

Laxalt is only 34, has never run for office before and is campaigning for attorney general—attorney general!—in Nevada, where he has been a cipher until just recently and whose last name explains … everything. That’s because Laxalt has one of the most unusual pedigrees in American politics: He’s the grandson of Paul Laxalt, the former senator and Ronald Reagan confidant once known as “the first friend”—still, at 91, casting a long if not always visible shadow in Nevada politics. Awkwardly, young Laxalt is also the illegitimate son of Sen. Pete Domenici, his grandfather’s longtime Senate colleague. In fact, it was only last year that Adam Laxalt’s mother Michelle, a 24-year-old Reagan operative at the time of the affair and now a well-known Washington lobbyist, revealed her son’s parentage for the first time, a sensational revelation that almost certainly had the effect of clearing the way for his political career.

It gets better. Laxalt’s Democratic foe is another political royal, Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, the son of a former governor and the overwhelming favorite to win. But that’s also what’s made the race such a spectacle: Miller, the Nevada Democratic Party’s rising star and presumed 2018 gubernatorial candidate, has become a top target of Republican potentates like casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who has launched a Stop Miller Now campaign and is bankrolling Laxalt along with his grandfather’s Reagan-era friends.

As one prominent Nevada Republican puts it, “If his name were Adam Smith, this race would be a total joke.” But his name is Adam Laxalt, and that’s why Democrats aren’t laughing.

*

The Laxalt name was once gold in Nevada, where Tall Paul was governor before he became senator. He rose from humble beginnings as the son of a Basque immigrant shepherd to become an iconic figure, mostly by virtue of his handsome presence, burning ambition and preternatural equanimity. In 1974, in one of the more dramatic races in state annals, Laxalt defeated a young lieutenant governor by the name of Harry Reid to win an open Senate seat. By the time he retired in 1986, with the circle closing and Reid winning his seat, Laxalt was a revered figure, so charismatic and compelling that he briefly considered a presidential run. But he has barely been visible in Nevada for about a quarter-century, and his name recognition in the state is probably 30 percent now.

As for Adam, until recently he was a virtual unknown in the state his grandfather once ruled. He was born in Reno but raised by Michelle, who never married, in Washington, D.C., where she has been a successful lobbyist and TV pundit. A graduate of Georgetown University, Adam stayed in Washington for his law degree, too, then landed low-level jobs with Bolton, an undersecretary of state at the time, and then-Sen. John Warner from Virginia before a five-year stint in the Navy, including a deployment to Iraq as a judge advocate general.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan faces reporters in the White House Rose Garden in March 1984 in Washington to announce a package of deficit-reduction measures. Sen. Paul Laxalt and Sen. Pete Domenici stand to Reagan's left. | AP Photo

Then came his mother’s blockbuster announcement a year and a half ago that Domenici was Adam’s father (a long-held secret broached, she said at the time, to get ahead of a forthcoming news story).

“One night’s mistake led to pregnancy more than 30 years ago,” she said in her statement. Domenici, who was 50 at the time of the affair and has eight children with his wife Nancy, had little involvement with Adam’s upbringing, his mother said in announcing the senator’s paternity: “My interaction with my child’s father consisted of telling him my decision, asking that he avail himself for health-related purposes and asking that he agree that this remain private between the two of us.” (Domenici had apparently kept his word for three decades: “My family has been aware of these events for several months,” he said last year when the news came out.)

No sooner had the initial shock over Michelle’s revelation dissipated than the rumbles began: She was clearing the way for her son’s political ambitions. Adam had only recently moved to Las Vegas and begun practicing law at Lewis Rocha Rothberger, a firm that specializes in administrative and corporate clients. Few in the political world knew of him.

Adam hiking with his grandfather former Sen. Paul Laxalt.

Laxalt did not raise his head politically in Nevada until he had been in Las Vegas for about a year, although he clearly had strong views: He had a small sideline as a writer for conservative websites, including a couple of screeds against gays. (In one 2010 jeremiad against President Obama’s decision to allow gays to serve openly in the U.S. military, he  warned: “senior officers and non-commissioned officers will have to, under the color of Military Law, proactively endorse and eventually foster homosexuality.”)

Even before going into politics, Laxalt had talked openly about the difficulties of his teen years, including a  drinking problem and a DUI arrest. Speaking of his time at Tulane University before he transferred to Georgetown, he  told  Washingtonian magazine in a 1999 article on recovering alcoholics: “I got down there and it was just too much fun, too many women, and too much booze. Campus bars were open until 6 AM, and Bourbon Street was open until 6 or 7 AM.”

office on January 5, 2015, making him the youngest in the country.

Laxalt is a father, a husband, and a fourth-generation native

Nevadan.  A former Lieutenant in the United States Navy, the US Navy

trained him as a prosecutor and legal advisor.  Laxalt served his

country as a Judge Advocate General.  While in the Navy, he volunteered

to serve in a combat zone in Iraq at Forward Operating Base Camp

Victory.  Laxalt’s team was in charge of more than 20,000 detainees

during the Surge, keeping our troops and the world safer by assisting

with the detention and prosecution of thousands of war criminals and

terrorists.  For his exemplary service, Laxalt was awarded the Joint

Service Commendation Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal, and his Unit was

awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

Laxalt served as a Special Assistant US Attorney, as an Assistant

Professor of Law in the Leadership, Ethics, and the Law Department at

the US Naval Academy, and as a Special Advisor to the Undersecretary of

the State for Arms Control and International Security, John R. Bolton. 

Throughout his time in military and government service, he worked to put

Americans’ security first.

Prior to becoming the Attorney General, Laxalt was in private

practice in Las Vegas, solving problems for a wide array of Nevadans and

their businesses.  As a community leader, Laxalt serves on the Board of

Trustees for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, the largest private

social services in the state.  Laxalt also co-founded the Saint Thomas

More Society in Nevada, a legal ethics and leadership society that has

sponsored numerous legal education and leadership events.  Laxalt is a

member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Basque Studies at the

University of Nevada, Reno.

Laxalt graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University and also graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Laxalt is a devoted family man.  He and his wife Jaime live in Reno with their daughter Sophia and their dogs Hoya and Buckley.==

<blockquote style=" margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(102, 0, 51); font-size: 14px; padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Adam Laxalt is a lawyer working in Las Vegas, who served five years in the Navy. He provided legal counsel on detainee operations in Iraq. He also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Air Force General Counsel; an aide to John Bolton in the State Department; and a staffer for former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.).

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And here's a snippet from Michelle Laxalt's bio on <a href="http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/michelle_d_laxalt.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 51); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Politico's Arena</a>:

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<blockquote style=" margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(102, 0, 51); font-size: 14px; padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Michelle D. Laxalt is recognized as one of the most prominent and effective government relations practitioners in the nation's capital. In fact, "Washingtonian" magazine named her one of the top 50 lobbyists in a town where lobbying has become a major industry. She was the first Republican woman to form her own consulting firm in Washington, D.C.</blockquote>

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<blockquote style=" margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(102, 0, 51); font-size: 14px; padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Ms. Laxalt formed The Laxalt Corporation in 1984 and has represented prominent clients whose business interests include international trade, labor law, intellectual property law, oil and gas, federal taxes, tort reform, regulation of tobacco and other important issues that come before the legislative and executive branches of government.</blockquote>

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It's worth noting that Laxalt's professional interests likely overlapped with those of the father of her child: During his time in the Senate, Domenici served as chairman of both the Energy and Natural Resources and Budget committees.

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Paul Dominique Laxalt (born August 2, 1922) is a former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">American</a> District Attorney, the 23rd <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_Governor_of_Nevada" title="Lieutenant Governor of Nevada" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lieutenant Governor of Nevada</a>, the 22nd <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_Nevada" title="List of Governors of Nevada" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Governor of Nevada</a> and U.S. Senator. In the media, the words "son of a Basque sheepherder" often accompanied his name. He was one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics. In fact, after Reagan was elected President in 1980, the national press began to refer to Laxalt as "The First Friend." He is the older brother of the late <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Laxalt" title="Robert Laxalt" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Robert Laxalt</a>, a noted and prolific writer. He is a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican Party</a>.

<h2 style=" color: black; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; font-size: 13px; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contents</h2>

[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Early_life.2C_education.2C_and_early_career" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Early life, education, and early career</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Political_career" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2 Political career</a>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#1964_U.S._Senate_run" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.1 1964 U.S. Senate run</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Governor" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.2 Governor</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#U.S._Senate" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.3 U.S. Senate</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-6" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Senate_tenure" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.3.1 Senate tenure</a></li>

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<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Relationship_with_Ronald_Reagan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.4 Relationship with Ronald Reagan</a>

<li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-8" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Sacramento_Bee_Libel_Suit" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.4.1 Sacramento Bee Libel Suit</a></li>

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<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#1988_presidential_election" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2.5 1988 presidential election</a></li>

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<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#After_politics" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">3 After politics</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#Personal_life" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4 Personal life</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#References" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">5 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13" style=" margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#External_links" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">6 External links</a></li>

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Laxalt was born on August 2, 1922 in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno,_Nevada" title="Reno, Nevada" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Reno, Nevada</a>, the son of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_people" title="Basque people" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Basque</a> shepherd, Dominique, and a Basque mother, Therese, both of whom had immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s from their homeland in the Pyrenees, which straddle France and Spain. Dominique became wealthy in the sheep industry, but he lost everything in the early 1920s. Thereafter, he went back to sheepherding for the rest of his career. Therese, who had been trained at Paris' Cordon Bleu cooking school, eventually opened a restaurant called The French Hotel in the Nevada capital of Carson City.

Therese and Dominique had six children: Paul, Robert (born in 1923), Suzanne (1925), John (1926), Marie (1928) and Peter (1931). The Laxalt children were raised largely by their mother as Dominique spent long periods of time away from the household as he tended to his sheep in the deserts and mountains of Nevada. The children all helped Therese at The French Hotel. It was here that Paul first acquired an interest in politics as he listened in on the conversations of the politicians who patronized the restaurant (including the legendary U.S. Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_McCarran" title="Patrick McCarran" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Patrick McCarran</a>). Paul played on the 1938 state basketball champion team at Carson High School before graduating and attending Santa Clara University. When World War II broke out, Paul joined the U.S. Army and served as a medic, seeing action in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte" title="Battle of Leyte" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Battle of Leyte</a> in the Philippines. After the war, he graduated from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Denver" title="University of Denver" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">University of Denver</a>(1949) law school.

After graduating from law school and after serving as a district attorney, Laxalt enjoyed a successful career as a lawyer. His clients included George Whittell, who owned a large portion of the Lake Tahoe frontage on the Nevada side of the lake, Harvey and Llewellyn Gross, who built and ran Harvey's Wagon Wheel on Lake Tahoe's south shore, and Dick Graves, founder of the Sparks Nugget. While representing Graves, Laxalt helped win the famous "Golden Rooster case" in which the federal government tried to confiscate a 15-pound solid gold rooster that Graves displayed near the entrance of his Golden Rooster restaurant.

<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Political career[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Political career" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>

Paul Laxalt's first attempt for public office was in 1950 when he ran for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Attorney" title="District Attorney" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">District Attorney</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ormsby_County,Nevada" title="Ormsby County, Nevada" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Ormsby County, Nevada</a>, turning out the incumbent D.A. He served from 1950 to 1954. Laxalt's first run for statewide office came in 1962 when he ran for Lieutenant Governor against former Congressman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_L.Bunker" title="Berkeley L. Bunker" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Berkeley L. Bunker</a>. Using innovative television ads and personal television appearances, Laxalt was able to introduce himself to the electorate, particularly in Southern Nevada where he was virtually unknown. In the middle of the campaign, at a Fourth of July rally in Las Vegas, Republican Gubernatorial candidate Rex Bell, a former Hollywood actor who had persuaded Laxalt to run with him on the GOP "ticket", dropped dead of a heart attack. A great amount of pressure was applied to Laxalt to run in Bell's place, but the young attorney demurred, and he remained in the lieutenant governor's race. He ended up defeating Bunker by a comfortable margin. Laxalt served one term as lieutenant governor—from 1963 to 1967.

<h3 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">1964 U.S. Senate run<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 1964 U.S. Senate run" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

In 1964, Laxalt, while serving as lieutenant governor, ran for the United States Senate against <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)" title="Democratic Party (United States)" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Democratic</a> incumbent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Cannon" title="Howard Cannon" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Howard Cannon</a>. Laxalt had wanted to remain lieutenant governor, but with no other serious Republican contenders entering the race, he "threw his hat into the ring" in mid-1964. It was a difficult year to run as a Republican as GOP standard bearer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Goldwater" title="Barry Goldwater" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Barry Goldwater</a> was about to be trounced by President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_Johnson" title="Lyndon Johnson" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lyndon Johnson</a>. Not too long before election day, Goldwater scheduled a visit to Las Vegas. Laxalt's advisors told him he should "duck" Goldwater as they feared any association with the Arizona Senator would spell trouble. Laxalt, who often described Goldwater as his "political Godfather", reportedly told his aides, "Listen Barry Goldwater is my friend. If I snubbed him now, I could never look him in the face again. I would rather lose." The Laxalt-Goldwater meeting on the tarmac was splashed on the front pages of local newspapers. (Goldwater would go on to lose Nevada by 28,000 votes.) Still, the Laxalt-Cannon race remained close. As he watched the returns come in from his home in Carson City, Laxalt was stunned when one of the television networks declared him the winner. The next morning he flew to Las Vegas where he was told that certain precincts reported late and that Senator Cannon had won by 48 votes. The race was the subject of intense controversy for years.

<h3 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Governor<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Governor" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

Governor Laxalt</div>

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Laxalt then decided to challenge two-term Governor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Sawyer" title="Grant Sawyer" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Grant Sawyer</a>. Although the election would not take place until November 1966, Laxalt launched his campaign in the middle of 1965. One of the most hotly debated issues during the campaign was the Federal government's involvement in Nevada gaming operations. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI" title="FBI" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">FBI</a> and Justice Department had deep suspicions about organized crime's involvement in the gambling industry. Sawyer took the position that the Federal government should stay out of Nevada's affairs. Laxalt took the position that Nevada had to cooperate with "the Feds" in order to be in a position to regulate gambling credibly. (In fact, one of Laxalt's first moves after his election was to meet with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover" title="J. Edgar Hoover" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">J. Edgar Hoover</a> to express Nevada's desire to establish a cooperative relationship.) During the gubernatorial campaign, Laxalt also led a movement to drive the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society" title="John Birch Society" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">John Birch Society</a> from the state Republican Party. Sawyer was defeated by an unexpectedly wide margin (nearly 6,000 votes). Laxalt served one term as governor, from January 1967 to January 1971.

Laxalt's tenure as governor was noteworthy for coinciding with the purchase of several hotel-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino" title="Casino" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">casinos</a> by reclusive billionaire<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Hughes" title="Howard Hughes" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Howard Hughes</a>. Laxalt allowed Hughes to secure his gaming license without appearing before the state's gaming regulatory authorities because he thought having an internationally acclaimed businessman involved in Nevada gaming would send a positive signal about the legitimacy of the industry. Laxalt also supported corporate ownership of gaming operations in Nevada, which helped pave the way for modern-day gambling. With the financial support of Hughes, Laxalt helped establish the state's first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_college" title="Community college" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">community colleges</a> and Nevada's first medical school.

Along with Ronald Reagan, governor of neighboring California, Laxalt helped create the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, to protect scenic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tahoe" title="Lake Tahoe" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lake Tahoe</a>. He also expanded the park system and promoted prison reform in Nevada. On one occasion, Governor Laxalt, against the advice of his staff, went to the Nevada State Penitentiary during a prisoner uprising. He met personally with several prisoners who described to the governor the deplorable conditions they were living under. Laxalt sympathized with their concerns and ordered the prison staff to address the problems. When he was later asked by the media if he had qualms about entering the prison yard, Laxalt, a former trial lawyer, said, "No, not really. Many of them were my former clients!"

In 1985, a Nevada State Senate Resolution was passed which read in part: WHEREAS, In 1968, Governor (Paul) Laxalt made history when he appointed Reverend (William) Wynn, the man who was able to “get things done,” to the position of Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, an appointment which was considered a landmark for the State of Nevada because Wynn was the first African American in this State to serve on (any) Governor’s cabinet."

Laxalt governed Nevada as a fiscal conservative, but felt compelled to raise taxes at the outset of his administration because of a woeful budget situation. Laxalt did not seek a second term. He bequeathed a budget surplus to his successor, Governor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_O%27Callaghan" title="Mike O'Callaghan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Mike O'Callaghan</a>. He left office saying that he had "a gut-full" of politics.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-1" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a>

<h3 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">U.S. Senate<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: U.S. Senate" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

After leaving the governor's mansion, Laxalt and his family opened a hotel/casino in Carson City. In 1974, when 20-year incumbent U.S. Senator Alan Bible announced his retirement, Republican political insiders pressed Laxalt to re-enter politics and seek the open U.S. Senate seat. He eventually agreed and wound up running against the sitting Democratic Lieutenant Governor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Reid" title="Harry Reid" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Harry Reid</a>. It was a hard-fought contest from the outset. The Watergate scandal was a burden for all Republicans running for national office in 1974. Nonetheless, early in the campaign, Laxalt enjoyed a consistent but tight lead on Reid in most polls. However, after President Gerald Ford pardoned former President Richard Nixon, Laxalt's prospects, like Republican prospects everywhere, suddenly took a dramatic turn for the worse. Laxalt compared it to having "a hundred pound weight around my neck." Still, he managed to eke out a victory by fewer than 1000 votes. To give the Republican Laxalt a leg up in seniority, Senator Bible resigned three weeks early and on December 18, 1974 Nevada Governor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_O%27Callaghan" title="Mike O'Callaghan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mike O'Callaghan</a> appointed Laxalt to finish out Bible's term. In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Nevada,_1980" title="United States Senate election in Nevada, 1980" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">the 1980 Senate race</a>, Laxalt won re-election over former State Senator Mary Gojak with 59% of the vote.

<h4 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Senate tenure<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Senate tenure" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

At the behest of conservative leaders, Laxalt drafted the initial version of the Family Protection Act of 1981, which would have cut back on child and family programs that proponents regarded as contributing to the disintegration of the American family. The legislation went nowhere. During the Carter Administration, alarmed by what he viewed as Carter's "War on the West," Laxalt became co-chair of the Senate Western Caucus, a bi-partisan coalition of Western Senators who were mainly united on public land and water issues. Laxalt's legislative activities were curtailed after Reagan's election. As the president's closest confidant on Capitol Hill, Laxalt was constantly advancing the President's agenda in the U.S. Senate and even the House. He became the "go-to guy" for Senators and House members wishing to curry favor with the Reagan White House. During the Reagan Presidency, Laxalt's words carried extra weight as they were seen as coming from a White House insider.In his first term in the U.S. Senate, Laxalt was active in many prominent legislative battles. In 1977, he led the fight against President Carter's proposal to transfer the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal" title="Panama Canal" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Panama Canal</a> to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama" title="Panama" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Panamanian</a> government. Despite being in the minority in the Senate, Laxalt helped build a coalition opposed to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_Treaties" title="Panama Canal Treaties" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Panama Canal Treaties</a>. Opponents successfully built a grassroots campaign designed to put pressure on the Senate. On the day of the vote, Laxalt was confident that he would be able to secure the 34 votes needed to defeat the treaties. However, his Nevada colleague <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Cannon" title="Howard Cannon" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Howard Cannon</a>, at the last minute, decided to support the treaties. Even in defeat, Laxalt had won plaudits from both sides of the aisle for the manner in which he led the opposition. Indeed, throughout his Senate tenure, Laxalt remained popular among his colleagues, principally because he was viewed as a "straight shooter" and someone who never allowed political differences to turn personal. He was good friends with conservative Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Helms" title="Jesse Helms" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jesse Helms</a> and liberal Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_M.Kennedy" title="Edward M. Kennedy" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ted Kennedy</a>. (At the request of Sen. Kennedy, Laxalt arranged to have President Reagan present Ethel Kennedy with the original copy of the medal honoring her late husband <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F.Kennedy" title="Robert F. Kennedy" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Robert F. Kennedy</a>.)

He was besieged with requests, even some as trivial as Senators and Congressmen looking for White House invitations. His role as a "link" between the two branches went both ways. The White House often used Laxalt to send messages to key members of the Congress. Remarkably, Senate Majority Leader <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Baker" title="Howard Baker" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Howard Baker</a> took the unprecedented step of making Laxalt an ex-officio member of the Senate leadership. Still, Laxalt remained active on issues he considered priorities. He helped shepherd through the Senate the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_Crime_Control_Act_of_1984" title="Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984</a>", which was the first comprehensive revision of the U.S. criminal code since the early 1900s. It was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. In addition, with the aid of liberal Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Leahy" title="Patrick Leahy" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Patrick Leahy</a> of Vermont, Laxalt was able to pass a regulatory reform bill by a unanimous vote in the Senate.

One of his highest profile victories was defeating President Carter's proposal for basing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MX_Missile&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MX Missile (page does not exist)" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background: none;">MX Missile</a>. The plan called for shuttling missiles around on underground tracks to foil Soviet attempts to monitor the missiles. The system would have encompassed 30,000 square miles in (mostly) Nevada and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah" title="Utah" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Utah</a>. Laxalt and Utah Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Garn" title="Jake Garn" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Jake Garn</a>, through their positions on the Appropriations Committee, worked tirelessly to discredit the plan. President Reagan eventually scrapped the MX basing proposal. Critics complained that he did so to help his friend Laxalt, even at the expense of protecting the country's national security interests. Laxalt dismissed such complaints, arguing that the basing plan was fatally flawed from the outset.

In 1985, President Reagan sent Laxalt to inform then-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Philippines" title="President of the Philippines" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">President of the Philippines</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos" title="Ferdinand Marcos" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ferdinand Marcos</a> about the U.S. government's increasing concerns about the Philippine economy and the threat posed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_insurgency_in_the_Philippines" title="Communist insurgency in the Philippines" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">ongoing Communist insurgency</a>. At the height of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_People_Power_Revolution" title="1986 People Power Revolution" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">1986 People Power Revolution</a>, the country was teetering on the brink of a bloody civil war. Marcos phoned Laxalt to see if Reagan wanted him to leave office, and Laxalt said that he could not speak for Reagan on such a sensitive subject. Marcos then asked, "Senator, what do you think I should do?" Laxalt famously answered, "You should cut and cut cleanly. The time has come." There was prolonged silence to the point Laxalt asked, "Mr. President, are you still there?" Marcos replied weakly, "Yes, Senator, I am still here. I am just so disappointed." Sixteen hours later on 25 February 1986, Marcos fled the Philippines for good after 21 years as dictator.

In 1986, shortly before his retirement from the Senate, Laxalt proposed an amendment to the Energy Department's appropriations bill that slashed funding for the nuclear waste repository program from $769 million to $380 million for Fiscal Year 1987. Laxalt was livid over the recent elimination of potential eastern repository sites, arguing that removing these sites from consideration amounted to crass politics. After delivering a low-key but impassioned speech on behalf of his amendment, Laxalt prevailed. The adoption of his amendment was a huge blow to the nuclear waste program generally and significantly slowed its momentum.

During Laxalt's two terms in the U.S. Senate, he served on several influential committees, including the Labor and Public Welfare Committee, the Appropriations Committee and the Judiciary Committee. When Republicans took control of the Senate in 1981, Laxalt became chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, and the Appropriations Committee's State, Justice and Commerce Subcommittee. In 1986, while serving on the Judiciary Committee, Laxalt played a key behind-the-scenes role in securing the committee's approval of President Reagan's nomination of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rehnquist" title="William Rehnquist" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">William Rehnquist</a> for Chief Justice of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Supreme Court</a>. Negotiating principally with Senators Ted Kennedy and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Biden" title="Joseph Biden" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Joe Biden</a>, Laxalt was able to strike a deal that allowed the committee to vote on the nomination. Rehnquist was subsequently approved by the full Senate by an overwhelming margin.

Early in his first term, Laxalt had a near-death experience in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Bay" title="San Francisco Bay" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">San Francisco Bay</a> area. In February 1976, he spoke at a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Day" title="Lincoln Day" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lincoln Day</a> event in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa,_California" title="Napa, California" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Napa, California</a>. Soon after arriving in Napa, Laxalt was contacted by the Ford White House and told that he was needed in Washington the next day to cast a critical vote in the Senate. Pressed for time following his speech, Laxalt agreed to take a private plane to the San Francisco airport. As the plane flew over San Francisco, suddenly the engines went silent. The plane was out of fuel. The San Francisco tower told the pilots that their only chance was to head for the Oakland airport, which was nearer. After barely clearing some houses in San Francisco, the plane landed in San Francisco Bay. Fortunately, the plane remained intact. Just as Laxalt was contemplating an attempt to swim to shore, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard" title="United States Coast Guard" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Coast Guard</a> helicopter hovered overhead and rescued the passengers. Laxalt later learned that his vote in the Senate was not required.

It is a long-held tradition to pay tribute to retiring colleagues on the floor of the Senate. On the eve of Laxalt's retirement, several Senators paid their respects to the Nevadan. Senator Ted Kennedy said, "Paul Laxalt may be Ronald Reagan's best friend in the Senate -- but it can also be said of Paul Laxalt that no Senator has more friends on both sides of the aisle in the Senate than he does."

Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Patrick_Moynihan" title="Daniel Patrick Moynihan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Daniel Patrick Moynihan</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York" title="New York" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York</a> added, "To this Senator, my colleague, Paul Laxalt, the strong silent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Cooper" title="Gary Cooper" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Gary Cooper</a> of the U.S. Senate, is, to a degree, enigmatic. This trace of mystery is perhaps in keeping with his Basque heritage, a people whose origins are unknown. The Senator from Nevada keeps his distance, maintains perspective, remains objective."

<h3 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Relationship with Ronald Reagan<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Relationship with Ronald Reagan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

It was the 1976 Republican Presidential race that may have cemented the tight political friendship between Laxalt and former Governor Reagan. Reagan had decided to challenge President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination. Ford enjoyed widespread support among the GOP establishment, particularly in Washington, D.C. Reagan decided that having Laxalt serve as his national chairman would give his campaign credibility it was otherwise lacking. Although Laxalt was not well known on a national level, he was well liked and respected in the U.S. Congress, and he was similarly respected by many prominent members of the national media. Laxalt eventually acceded to Reagan's request, even though doing so severely jeopardized his relationship with the Ford White House. Laxalt campaigned all over the United States on behalf of Reagan, often campaigning by his side.Laxalt had become close friends with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Ronald Reagan</a> during his time as governor, when Reagan was also in his first term as governor of neighboring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California" title="California" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">California</a>. They worked on many issues of mutual interest to the two states, principally those dealing with the preservation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tahoe" title="Lake Tahoe" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Lake Tahoe</a>. During Reagan's presidency, Senator Laxalt was sometimes referred to as "The First Friend".<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-FirstFriend-2" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a> Laxalt was national chairman of three Reagan presidential campaigns and placed Reagan's name in nomination at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_National_Convention" title="Republican National Convention" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Republican National Conventions</a> of 1976, 1980 and 1984. During the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Republican_National_Convention" title="1980 Republican National Convention" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1980 Republican National Convention</a>, Laxalt's name was floated as a potential Vice Presidential nominee for the Reagan ticket, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H.W._Bush" title="George H.W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">George H.W. Bush</a> was chosen instead.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-3" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a> At the behest of President Reagan, Laxalt served in the then-unprecedented role of General Chairman of the Republican Party from 1983 to 1987. In fact, during Laxalt's second Senate term, due in large measure to his relationship with Reagan, several Nevadans came to Washington, D.C. to serve in prominent governmental and campaign positions. His long-time aide, Barbara Vucanovich, had been elected to serve in the House in 1982, becoming the first female elected to a federal position from Nevada. A long-time friend and prominent Nevada trial attorney, Frank Fahrenkopf, was elected to serve as Chairman of the Republican National Committee where he helped oversee Reagan's re-election and the election of George H.W. Bush four years later. Bob Broadbent of Boulder City became Assistant Secretary for Water and Science in the Department of the Interior; Bob Horton of Reno became Director of the Bureau of Mines; Cameron Batjer of Reno, a former Nevada Supreme Court Justice, served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission; Reese Taylor of Las Vegas served as Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission; and Ed Allison of Reno, Sig Rogich of Las Vegas, and Ralph Whitworth of Winnemucca all served in key roles in Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign. In early 1987, Laxalt was at the top of the short list to replace <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Regan" title="Donald Regan" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Donald Regan</a> as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Chief_of_Staff" title="White House Chief of Staff" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">White House Chief of Staff</a>, but he declined because he intended to run for President in 1988. Instead, he recommended former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Majority <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Baker" title="Howard Baker" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Howard Baker</a>, who took the job.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-4" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[4]</a>

With his back to the wall, Reagan won shocking victories in North Carolina and Texas, which propelled the race all the way to the national convention in Kansas City. Laxalt nominated Reagan at the convention. Eventually, the Reagan campaign lost a key procedural vote to Ford and the sitting President eked out a victory. Although he was on the losing side, Laxalt's national profile increased dramatically as a result of his efforts on behalf of Reagan. When Reagan defeated incumbent President Jimmy Carter in 1980, with Laxalt again serving as national chairman, the Nevada Senator's profile rose even higher.

<h4 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sacramento Bee Libel Suit<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Sacramento Bee Libel Suit" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>

As a long-time public official in Nevada, where individuals with alleged ties to organized crime were prominent in the early Las Vegas gaming industry, Laxalt came under scrutiny for his relationships with certain individuals. In 1983, during Laxalt's second Senate term and on the eve of Reagan's re-election bid, the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Bee" title="Sacramento Bee" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Sacramento Bee</a> published two articles about Laxalt's business dealings while his family owned the Ormsby House, a hotel-casino in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_City" title="Carson City" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Carson City</a>, in the early 1970s. The articles claimed that certain Federal agents had alleged that the casino had been skimmed of profits while owned by the Laxalt family. Laxalt sued theBee for libel, claiming that the articles' allegations were false, and that the implication that Laxalt associated with members of organized crime was defamatory. He also denied knowing about skimming activities and, in fact, denied that any skimming whatsoever had taken place.

Laxalt sought $250 million in damages. In 1987, the lawsuit was settled. In a statement, the Bee acknowledged that pretrial discovery "had not shown that there was a skim" at the Ormsby House. Laxalt declared that pretrial investigations had found no evidence of the wrongdoing at issue. The Bee maintained that it did not commit libel because it had not stated that Laxalt was involved in wrongdoing; it had merely reported that a third party held suspicions that wrongdoing had taken place at the Ormsby House. Under the settlement, the two sides agreed to allow the question of attorneys' fees to be decided by a panel of former federal judges.

In March 1988, after an extensive review, the judges awarded Laxalt $647,452.52 in fees and costs. One of the panelists, former Carter Administration Attorney General <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin_Bell" title="Griffin Bell" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Griffin Bell</a>, said that he would have preferred awarding $2 million, but he felt the final amount was "fair." The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Post" title="Washington Post" class="mw-redirect" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Washington Post</a> described the judges' decision as a "slap" at the Bee newspapers. Laxalt was quoted as saying that the case had proven the Bee's allegations to be without basis.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-5" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[5]</a>

<h3 style=" margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.6; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">1988 presidential election<span class="mw-editsection" style=" -webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 1988 presidential election" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>

Laxalt retired from the Senate in 1987 and was replaced by the man he had defeated in 1974, Harry Reid, who would go on to become the Senate Majority Leader. Laxalt made a brief run for the Republican Presidential nomination during 1987. The campaign lasted only four months after Laxalt determined that the effort had fallen short of its fundraising goals. Political commentators at the time concluded that he had waited too long to enter the race, which meant that not only did his competitors have a leg up in organization, but many of the top political strategists and fundraisers had already signed on with other camps. He was eventually named a co-chairman of George H.W. Bush's successful presidential campaign. Eight years later, he served in a similar capacity in Bob Dole's failed presidential bid.

<h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">After politics[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Laxalt&action=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: After politics" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>

Laxalt was a partner in the New York City-based law firm of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finley,Kumble,Wagner,Underberg,Manley,Myerson%26_Casey" title="Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-6" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[6]</a> and its successor law firm, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,Perito%26_Dubuc" title="Washington, Perito & Dubuc" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Laxalt, Washington, Perito & Dubuc</a>. He later formed a small government consulting firm known as The Paul Laxalt Group. After his retirement from the U.S. Senate, Laxalt was named by President George H.W. Bush to a prestigious deficit reduction panel that consisted of current and former members of Congress and other prominent Americans. The commission eventually deadlocked on how best to address federal budget deficits.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-7" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[7]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laxalt#cite_note-8" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[8]</a> Paul Laxalt was honored in various ways both during and after his public service career. The Paul Laxalt Mineral Engineering Center, an $11 million building that was completed in 1983, has been described as a giant step forward for the University of Nevada-Reno and the School of Mines. The 60,000-square-foot building houses classrooms and laboratories for mining engineering, chemical and materials engineering, and geological sciences. The Paul Laxalt State Building in Carson City was formerly the U.S. Post Office (built in 1891) and the first Federal building erected in Nevada. It is located in the center of the Carson City's Historic District.

One of Laxalt's initiatives that gave him great personal satisfaction was the Intern program he established during his two terms in the United States Senate. The program was designed to bring college-age students to Washington, D.C., to work in Laxalt's Senate office for the equivalent of a college semester. The program produced several individuals who went on to prominent careers in government and business, including Nevada's current Governor, Brian Sandoval.

On August 2, 2012, Governor Sandoval issued a proclamation declaring that date, Laxalt's 90th birthday, as "Paul Laxalt Day" in the state of Nevada