Sam Brown draws strong response at RNC promoting campaign against Nevada Sen. Rosen

With the theme of “Make America Safe Again” as Tuesday night’s backdrop at the Republican National Convention, Nevada U.S. candidate Sam Brown recounted his time serving in Afghanistan.

A retired Army captain, Brown opened his brief five-minute speech recounting the attack that scarred 30% of his body during his service in Afghanistan, when a roadside bomb detonated under the fuel tank of Brown’s vehicle. The veteran recalled hearing a voice saying, “I got you,” a sentiment he echoed to convention-goers toward the end of his speech.

Brown’s appearance came in the middle of a blitz of appearances from Republican Senate candidates across the country. After Brown finished and began walking off the stage, attendees began chanting “USA” and repeating Brown’s phrase, “We got you,” in an especially emotional response from the crowd.

Rick Saccone, a Pennsylvania delegate and former state lawmaker, was in tears after hearing the speech.

“Every one of those guys (who spoke before Brown) basically said the same thing,” Saccone said. “With him, it’s more compelling because he sacrificed a lot for us. I hope these people appreciate this.”

Saccone said he lived in Las Vegas for a few years and believes Brown “will do the right thing” if elected into office. Brown is challenging the incumbent, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.

Nevada delegates at the convention were excited to see their candidate take the national spotlight night.

Brown also launched a run for the Senate in 2022 but was defeated by Adam Laxalt in the Republican primary. Laxalt was defeated by incumbent Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto by about 8,000 votes — a margin Republicans feel Brown can overcome against Rosen.

“We’re all in very, very, very big support of Sam,” Lyon County Republican Party chairwoman Lorrie Olson said. “We managed to get him to the primary, and we’re going to do everything we can to get Rosen out.”

Brown’s inconsistency with abortion policy was a nonissue for delegates, who said abortion shouldn’t be the “soapbox” conservatives use on the national stage.

Brown, who said in a 2022 debate against Laxalt that he needed to see the “specifics” of an abortion ban proposal, has recently doubled down on his opposition to a national abortion ban. The murkiness of Brown’s stance was further called into question after he and his wife, in an interview in February with NBC, recounted how she had an abortion before meeting Brown.

Brown’s appearance at the convention is a rare occurrence for the candidate, who has been largely absent from the public eye even as he cinched a last-minute endorsement from Donald Trump and won the Nevada primary. it is not known whether Tuesday's speech, which was well-received by fellow Republicans at the convention, could be the first step in a more aggressive campaign for Brown.

Brown pointed to Nevada’s unemployment rate as a chief indicator of the Biden administration’s "poor policymaking," saying the state has a 25% higher unemployment rate than the national average. Nevada has the third highest unemployment rate in the U.S., at just over 5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1 percentage point above the national average of 4%.

The average unemployment rate in Nevada under the Biden administration has floated less than a percent over its rate during the Trump administration, recovering after hitting an all-time high of 30% in 2020 under Trump.

“The Biden-Harris economy might be fine for millionaires like Sen. Rosen, but it’s terrible for Nevada struggling with inflation and high prices,” Brown said.

Rosen’s 2018 win was the first time since 2001 that both Nevada senators were Democrats. But Republicans have reason for optimism in November, saying Gov. Joe Lombardo’s win over incumbent Democrat Steve Sisolak in 2022 shows a Republican can win again in Nevada.

“We’re building on that,” Brown said about the party’s approach to outreach ahead of November.

Brown closed out by throwing support behind Trump’s campaign for the Oval Office and tying his speech back to the night’s theme, warning Republican attendees of a Biden administration.

“Look at my face,” Brown said. “This is the high cost of war. If Joe Biden stays in office, more service members will pay this price.”