Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 | 2 a.m.
When Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Sam Brown was asked Thursday night during a debate about supporting a national abortion ban, he quickly responded that he “had been clear” about opposing a would-be proposal.
“I also stand by Nevada’s law that allows for abortion up to 24 weeks. I stand by that we should allow for women to have exceptions for rape, incest and threats to the life of mother,” Brown said in the debate hosted by KLAS, the CBS affiliate in Las Vegas. “Nevadans have made our law clear 34 years ago. I stand by that law, and I would not vote for a national abortion ban.”
His November opponent, U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., isn’t buying Brown’s claim. And residents shouldn’t believe he’ll protect women’s reproductive rights, the incumbent said.
“He has a decade-long record of saying that he’s against any exceptions on abortion, even in the case of rape or incest, not negotiable,” Rosen said.
At a news conference following the debate, the senator doubled down, adding: “Now, he’s trying to cover up his position in order to win a race. And I don’t believe that Nevada women can trust him.”
Rosen was referring to Brown’s support of abortion restrictions during a failed attempt in 2014 to win a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
They shared the stage and visions for the state two days before the start of early voting, addressing questions about economic concerns, security at the southwest border and abortion access.
Brown referred to Rosen as an “elitist” and said she was out of touch with Nevadans. Rosen called her November opponent “so stubborn and so extreme.”
Rosen told reporters after the debate that she prioritized discussing issues over exchanging personal attacks. She’s leading by nearly 8 points in the Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s aggregate of polls from Thursday.
“I wanted to be sure that I took my time to talk about what I’ve been doing, the investments we’ve made in Nevada, who we need to continue to fight: corporate greed and the Trump tax cuts,” Rosen said. “And what we need to invest in going forward, like expanding job opportunities and apprenticeships.”
Rosen often expresses pride about her bipartisan record, with the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University listing her among the top 10 most bipartisan senators in the 117th Congress.
“I love our great state, and that’s why I’m running for reelection: to continue to serve all of Nevada in a pragmatic, problem-solving, bipartisan way,” Rosen said in her closing remarks of the debate.
Brown repeatedly mentioned in the debate his support of former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, saying there would be no wars “when President Trump is back in the White House, and I can be an ally to him in the Senate.”
The affection appears to be mutual, dating at least to the Republican National Convention in July, when Brown was the only candidate Trump singled out during his acceptance address to attendees.
“We have a man in this room who’s running for the U.S. Senate from the great state of Nevada. Sam Brown, he paid the ultimate price,” Trump said on stage, referencing Brown being wounded in combat while serving in the U.S. Army.
Brown describes himself as “a new generation of independent conservative leadership” on his official campaign website. In his final debate statement, he reiterated that Rosen had support from “coastal elites” and that she uses “D.C. buzzwords to make accusations.”
“It’s time for a champion to go to D.C. who understands our issues, for someone to be there who knows what it’s like to be a small-business owner, to be there as a veteran, to go there to work, to make sure that we lower our taxes, that we decrease regulations, we make life more affordable again, we secure our border,” Brown said. “I’m asking for your vote. I’m asking for your trust. We cannot survive another six years like this.”