Q&A: Nevada Sen. Cortez Masto on teaming up with VP Harris as attorneys general

Vice President Kamala Harris frequently talks about her time as a prosecutor – and how that experience has prepared her for the White House.

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto told Morning Edition why Harris emphasizes that experience. The two served as attorneys general in neighboring states for five years and worked together on several issues.

They helped secure part of a national $25 billion settlement from mortgage lenders accused of foreclosure abuses. Cortez Masto credits Harris with helping smaller states get more money in the settlement.

And despite Nevada not being a border state, the two worked together to address drug and human trafficking, as well as money laundering, with Harris facilitating talks between U.S. and Mexican officials to tackle these issues.

“I think people are seeing that now at a national level, as she really gets around the country, including in Nevada, talking about why, as the President of the United States, she will continue to fight for our working families and our businesses,” Cortez Masto said.

Cortez Masto, the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant, made history in 2016 as the first—and so far, only—Latina senator, defeating GOP Rep. Joe Heck. She won reelection in 2022 by defeating Republican Adam Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Cortez Masto calls herself a confidant of Harris. The two became senators in 2017. Cortez Masto was involved in the vetting for Harris' running mate, and her knowledge of swing-state Nevada could benefit Harris' campaign.

She spoke to Morning Edition as part of our “We, The Voters” series about working with Harris as attorneys general, the VP vetting process and what Nevadans expect from a new administration,