LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Republicans running in Nevada’s hotly contested races for governor and U.S. Senate are taking aim at a common target as they try to maintain GOP control of the seats: California. As more Californians have poured across the state line over the past few years, some Nevada Republicans fear a state that already has become a political battleground will begin to resemble its deep blue neighbor. GOP candidates are appealing to conservative voters with warnings about life in California: sanctuary cities, crippling business regulations, out-of-control housing prices and a worsening homeless crisis. Californians have long made up at least one-third of new residents to Nevada but this year are on track to comprise 40 percent of new residents. Many of them head to Nevada to escape sky-high housing costs. Part of a series on the impact of California’s struggles on the November election.