Retired US Army Captain Sam Brown clinched the GOP nomination for the Senate in last Tuesday’s Nevada primary and will face off against Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen in November.
The Nevada Senate race is expected to be among the most competitive races this year as the Democrats seek to hold their slim majority in the upper chamber. Republicans believe that Nevada, like West Virginia, could be a prime opportunity for them to retake control of the Senate.
Brown, who lost his primary bid for the Senate in 2022 to Republican Adam Laxalt, held an easy lead in both the polls and fundraising during this year’s primary race.
The Army veteran enjoyed the backing of the bulk of the Republican Party and was endorsed by Nevada’s Republican Governor Joe Lombardo.
Just days before last Tuesday’s primary, Donald Trump endorsed Brown at a Las Vegas rally.
The former president also urged his Truth Social followers to support Brown, whom he described as a “fearless American patriot” with the “grit” and “courage” to take on America’s enemies, “both Foreign and Domestic.”
Trump’s endorsement was a blow to one of Brown’s challengers, former Trump ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter.
Throughout the primary, Gunter tried to paint Brown as a toady of the Republican establishment in Washington, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He also accused the National Republican Senatorial Committee and its chairman Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) of trying to dig up information about his background as a doctor to hurt him in the Republican primary.
Brown was awarded a Purple Heart after his unit was struck by an IED in Afghanistan in 2008. He sustained third-degree burns over his face and body.
In April, Cook Political Report adjusted its rating for the Nevada Senate race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up,” citing the state’s newer population, the struggling tourism industry post-pandemic, and President Biden’s low approval rating.
