Former President Donald J. Trump said Sunday he is supporting Sam Brown, the Army veteran who is leading the crowded Republican primary field in the race for U.S. Senate in Nevada.
“Sam Brown is a fearless American patriot,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media page Truth Social, adding that Mr. Brown would “fight tirelessly” to protect the border and improve the economy.
While the endorsement is late – the primary is June 11 and early voting has already ended – it solidifies Mr. Brown’s position as the front-runner and strong favorite to advance to the November general election against Sen. Jacky Rosen, the Democratic incumbent. He has raised more money than his main rivals, received the support of the state’s Republican governor, Joe Lombardo, and has been ahead by double digits in every recent poll of the race, although most were commissioned by himself.
Mr Trump’s opinion was the only remaining question mark. Despite appearing as a strong supporter of the former president on the campaign trail, Mr. Brown was late in formally endorsing Mr. Trump’s bid for a second term, and his main rivals sought to capitalize from the right. Jeff Gunter, a wealthy dermatologist and Mr. Trump’s ambassador to Iceland, has positioned himself as a MAGA candidate and sharply criticized Mr. Brown in television ads as he hoped for possible support from Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has shared images on Truth Social highlighting Mr. Brown’s dominance in the polls in Nevada, and he praised both Mr. Brown and Jim Marchant, a former state representative and prominent election denier who is also running for Senate, in an interview with a local television station at the end of May.
In a post on X, Mr. Brown said he was “honored” to receive Mr. Trump’s support. “I look forward to working with you to create a better future for every Nevadan and American if we both win in November,” Mr. Brown said.
Ms. Rosen’s campaign was endorsed by Mr. Trump on Sunday.
“Nevada residents want a senator who will work across party lines to take care of our state, not a MAGA extremist like Sam Brown who always puts partisan politics and pleasing Trump over doing what is right,” said Johanna Warsaw, a spokeswoman for Ms. Rosen’s campaign.
In a statement, Mr. Gunter said: “Mitch McConnell’s money wins, the American people lose,” referring to his recurring line of attack – that Mr. Brown is the choice of the Washington establishment. “Rinse and repeat,” Mr. Gunter added.
Mr. Brown, a former Army captain, was nearly killed in Afghanistan in 2008 when his vehicle ran over an explosive device planted by the Taliban. He suffered severe burns, was evacuated to a burn unit in the United States and underwent more than 30 surgeries during his three-year recovery. The injury left him with permanent scars.
He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives in 2014 before moving to Reno with his wife in 2018. In 2022, he lost in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to Adam Laxalt, the state’s former attorney general. Mr. Laxalt was defeated in the general election by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, whose victory allowed Democrats to retain control of the chamber.
Assuming Mr. Brown advances to the general election, he could be buoyed by Mr. Trump’s strong numbers in Nevada, which hasn’t elected a Republican at the presidential level since 2004 but emerged as one of President Biden’s most uncertain states in November developed .
Nevada’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism, has been slower to recover from the coronavirus pandemic than other states, and Ms. Rosen has sought to distance herself from Mr. Biden as she tries to retain her Senate seat.
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2024-06-10 03:12:37
www.nytimes.com
