Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown is interviewed during a Donald Trump campaign rally at Sunset Park Sunday, June 9, 2024.
Published Tuesday, June 11, 2024 | 8:26 p.m.
Updated 2 hours, 23 minutes ago
Republican Sam Brown overcame a crowded field of primary opponents to win Nevada’s GOP U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, setting up a fierce general election battle against incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen that could decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.
The AP called the race for Brown, the retired U.S. Army captain, at 8:30 p.m. He had received about 59% of the votes statewide as of 11 p.m., according the Nevada Secretary of State’s website. Jeff Gunter was significantly behind in second place with about 16% of the vote.
The initial batch of results did not include vote totals from Tuesday’s in-person voting nor did they include any mail ballots that have yet to be received at county election offices.
In a speech to supporters at a Reno watch party, Brown thanked his wife, Amy, their three young children and his parents. He described an America “at a crossroads,” where he said his children “have no voice” and “have no vote” in the country that they will inherit.
“Your dad is going to do everything he can to make sure that the American Dream that so many of us had an opportunity to take advantage of is there for you,” he said.
Brown, a Purple Heart recipient making his second try in two years for the U.S. Senate, emerged from a field of 12 Republicans to challenge Rosen, a first-term moderate in a presidential battleground state and one of the GOP’s top targets in 2024. Democrats are defending far more Senate seats than Republicans this year as they look to maintain their narrow Senate majority.
His compelling personal story — Brown was nearly killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan and spent months in recovery — has been a cornerstone of his campaign. When he launched his candidacy in Sparks, nearly a year ago, he recounted his military background and devotion to family and cast himself as an outsider fighting against “Rosen and her D.C. friends.”
Brown, who received an endorsement Sunday from former President Donald Trump, has ground to make up in the race against Rosen. A survey by Emerson College Polling/The Hill conducted in late April with 1,000 would-be Nevada voters found Rosen led Brown 45% to 37%, with 18% undecided.
Rosen’s campaign sent out a statement Tuesday night saying Brown is a “MAGA extremist who will say anything to get elected.”
Rosen touted her work over the years in the Senate, including working across party lines.
“Nevadans know my record of working across party lines to get results and taking on special interests to lower costs – it’s why I’m ranked one of the most bipartisan, independent, and effective members of the Senate,” she said. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done with both parties to rebuild our infrastructure with good-paying jobs, support our veterans, and invest in local law enforcement.”
Rosen blasted Brown in a statement Tuesday night as she warned of his “far-right agenda,” which she said includes banning abortion.
“I’ll stand up to anyone to get things done for our state,” Rosen said, “but Brown will always put partisan politics and corporate special interests ahead of doing what’s right for Nevada.”
Abortion is expected to be a central issue in the general election campaign. Rosen has repeatedly referenced Brown’s support for Texas’ 20-week abortion ban while running for a seat in the Texas Legislature in 2014.
Earlier this year, Brown sat with his wife, Amy, as she revealed in an interview with NBC News that she had undergone an abortion in Texas before they met. Brown, backing off from his previously unequivocal anti-abortion rhetoric, said he opposed a federal abortion ban and believed the question should be left to the states.
In other races of interest, Shelley Berkley, a former congresswoman, held about a 4,000-vote lead over Las Vegas Councilwoman Victoria Seaman in the race for Las Vegas mayor. Berkley was well below the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff in the November general election.
They are vying to replace Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who is termed out after 12 years.
In the Republican primaries for the Las Vegas Valley’s three congressional seats, retired Col. Mark Robertson won over Flemming Larsen in the race to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Dina Titus in the 1st Congressional District as of 10 p.m. Robertson carried about 49% of the vote; Larsen had 39%.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Drew Johnson was declared the winner by the AP for the chance to take on Democratic incumbent Susie Lee. Johnson received 31% of the vote — about a 1,450-vote advantage over Dan Schwartz, the former Nevada Treasurer.
In the 4th Congressional District, former North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee was declared the winner by the AP on Wednesday night with about 49% of the vote over David Flippo, who had about 45%, for the right to face Democratic incumbent Steven Horsford.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.