Sam Brown, the Republican running for Nevada’s competitive Senate seat, entered the debate on Thursday night with a significant polling deficit and a clear mission: rattle his Democratic opponent, Senator Jacky Rosen, and make a strong case that he was the candidate who would fight for working families.
In a policy-heavy hour, Mr. Brown frequently attempted to use Nevada’s prolonged economic malaise to his advantage, claiming that he understood blue-collar voters’ concerns about the cost of gasoline and food and that Ms. Rosen was out of touch. “The majority of us can’t afford basic life at this point, and it’s easy for Senator Rosen, as an elitist who lives in a gated community, to support green energy sources,” he stated.
Ms. Rosen, a first-term senator, frequently retaliated, and she was ready with a laundry list of achievements and laws she had supported, claiming she had advocated for more affordable housing and would target the corporate forces she blamed for high costs. She implied that Mr. Brown “wants to inflict pain” on Nevadans by hiking interest rates and hammered him on his previous opposition to abortion.
Despite moments of conflict and interruptions, both candidates appeared to be pretty mild-mannered, and it was unclear whether any of the attacks would leave a lasting impression, which might be problematic for Mr. Brown, who is trailing in surveys. Republicans had been privately grumbling about his campaign’s prospects and were waiting for him to make a compelling case against Ms. Rosen onstage. Still, the moderators at KLAS, a local television station, quickly cut off any lengthy debates or arguments. Mr. Brown landed several punches, turning questions about housing policy, renewable energy, and even U.F.Os into jabs at his opponent’s wealth. Ms. Rosen is a multimillionaire with a diverse portfolio of stocks and index funds, though her campaign claims she has not traded individual stocks in the last five years.
“It’s interesting that Senator Rosen would mention a desire to want to fine greedy corporations,” according to him. “What if we find greedy politicians who make things more unaffordable?”
He did not provide a remarkably detailed picture of what he would do differently than Ms. Rosen, and she generally appeared pleased to tout her successes without refuting his accusations. She eventually pushed back, arguing that when he turned an inquiry about aliens into an assault, his response “had nothing to do with U.F.O.s.” She then emphasized her working-class heritage. Ms. Rosen was most brutal on the matter of abortion, which exposed Mr. Brown’s fragility. He said that his wife had an abortion earlier in her life due to an unforeseen pregnancy and that he would not support a federal ban on the operation.
But Ms. Rosen pounced, saying that Mr. Brown had said he was “not for changing our existing law,” referring to a referendum proposition that would codify abortion access in the state’s constitution, and that he had previously expressed strong opposition to the procedure.”If you don’t believe that he would support a nationwide abortion ban, I’ve got some oceanfront property to sell you on the Las Vegas Strip,” she joked. “As a person who has seen the horrors of war, I can tell you that no one should have to go through that,” Mr. Brown added, the closest he came to mentioning it. And he hesitated until nearly 20 minutes into the debate to mention former President Donald J. Trump, who is running far ahead of Mr. Brown in Nevada. If Mr. Trump is returned to the White House, Mr. Brown stated, “I can be an ally of his in the Senate.”
