U.S. Army veteran Sam Brown on Tuesday secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Nevada, triumphing over a crowded field of 12 candidates just days after receiving an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
The Associated Press announced Brown’s victory at 8:11 p.m. Eastern, roughly an hour after polls closed. With 58% of ballots counted, Brown was leading with nearly 57% of the vote.
Brown will face Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) in the general election, one of three critical Senate races that could determine party control of the chamber.
Brown’s triumph followed Trump’s endorsement after months of seeking the presumptive GOP presidential nominee’s support. Trump made his endorsement official over the weekend on Truth Social after a Las Vegas rally.
At the event, Trump lauded Brown as “a good man,” but did not provide his “Complete and Total Endorsement” until later on his social media site.
“Sam Brown is a FEARLESS AMERICAN PATRIOT, a Purple Heart Recipient, who has proven he has the ‘PURE GRIT’ and COURAGE to take on our Enemies, both Foreign and Domestic,” Trump posted. “Sam is now running for U.S. Senate in the Great State of Nevada, primarily because he knows that Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left are A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. Our Country can no longer stand with this Corrupt and Incompetent ‘President’ calling the shots.”
Brown defeated 11 other GOP contenders, including former Trump Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter and former Nevada Assemblyman Jim Marchant. Gunter also attended Trump’s Las Vegas rally on Sunday.
Gunter, a businessman, expressed his frustration on social media after Trump endorsed Brown, who had the support of the Senate Republican campaign arm. Gunter alleged that Trump was reluctant to endorse Brown but eventually gave in to pressure from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“Sadly, the suspicions many of us have had about ‘endorsements’ are being confirmed,” Gunter posted.
