According to new video from last week’s IndyTalks event hosted by The Nevada Independent, Jon Ralston pushed term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval on whether he would endorse his fellow Republican, Attorney General Adam Laxalt, to succeed him. The exchange that follows leaves little room for interpretation — Sandoval thinks Laxalt is the wrong choice for Nevada’s next governor.

Ralston himself drew the same conclusion in his Sunday column:

And although he clearly loves Paul Laxalt, Sandoval obviously has no affection for his grandson. When I asked if he would endorse Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who wants to get rid of the Commerce Tax, Sandoval at first demurred saying he hadn’t made a choice and would “see what the candidates have to say.”

[…]

The lion in winter does not want the grandson of his political hero to be his successor.

Watch the revealing Q&A here and read the transcript below.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Ralston: Are you gonna endorse Adam Laxalt to succeed you?

Sandoval: I haven’t endorsed anybody. And, as I said, I’m gonna wait to see what the candidates have to say. But I’m not gonna support a candidate that’s gonna seek to undo what we’ve done in the past seven years. I’m not gonna do it.

Ralston: Do you consider repealing the commerce tax undoing what you’ve done?

Sandoval: Yes.

Ralston: So then you won’t endorse him, cause that’s what he’s proposed.

Sandoval: Well, you know, I’ll have a conversation with him about that. This isn’t the first time I’ve said that. But I think — and you’ve heard me say it — I think it would be devastating to our state —

Ralston: You can’t endorse somebody who [would] devastate the state, could you, Governor?

Sandoval: No.

Watch the entire video of Ralston’s interview with Sandoval here.

###