Democratic Senator Rosen re-elected in Nevada, gains swing state seat
LAS VEGAS– Nevada Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen was re-elected, defeating Republican Sam Brown in a tight but unusually calm racing for the Battlefield State.
The first-term senator had campaigned on abortion rights and positioned herself as a non-ideological politician, a formula that also worked for the state’s senior senator, Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, during his own re-election campaign two years ago.
“Thank you, Nevada!” I am honored and grateful to continue serving as a United States senator,” Rosen said Friday on the social platform X.
Brown, a retired Army captain who moved from Texas to Nevada in 2018 and has never held elected office, tried unsuccessfully to take advantage of President-elect Donald Trump’s strong performance in the Workers’ state. Trump won Nevada Friday.
The Associated Press left phone and email messages Friday seeking comment on Brown’s campaign. In a Saturday morning article on X, Brown thanked Nevada.
“Being your nominee has been the honor of your life, and although the outcome is not what we hoped for, I am deeply moved by the confidence, dedication and hope you have shown throughout. this trip,” Brown said.
Brown had Trump’s support in the Republican primary and won easily, but he was vastly outplayed during the campaign, leaving Rosen to dominate the airwaves for months.
Rosen, a former Las Vegas-area synagogue president and computer programmer, has run ads portraying herself as an independent who doesn’t listen to “party bosses.”
Analysts note that Nevada has historically supported pragmatic senators who provide funds from Washington.
Rosen also highlighted his work to expand high-speed internet access and help people get connected. Las Vegas with Southern California via light rail.
And she hammered Brown for his opposition to abortion rights, saying he would support a national ban on abortion despite Brown’s statements that he respected Nevada voters’ choice decades ago to legalize abortion. ‘abortion.
A ballot measure this year, it would enshrine the right to abortion in the adopted state constitution. Voters will have to approve it again in 2026 in order to amend the constitution.
The Senate race has generated relatively little national interest for most of the campaign, a stark contrast to the presidential race, as Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have targeted the state and its six electoral votes. Conservative money poured in in recent days as the Republican Party performed well early in the period, but Brown was unable to fully fight back.
Brown, who received the Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan, was seriously injured by an improvised explosive device there in 2008 and underwent 30 surgeries during his recovery. In his campaign ads, he repeatedly mentioned that his face remained heavily scarred from the attack.
He is also the founder of a medical company serving veterans.
Brown previously made an unsuccessful bid in 2022 for the Republican nomination against Cortez Masto.
All four Nevada’s U.S. House incumbents – three Democrats and one Republican – were also re-elected this year.
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Riccardi reported from Denver.
