War veteran sets major fundraising record in bid to flip crucial Senate seat from Democrats

EXCLUSIVE: Afghanistan war veteran and Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown has set a new fundraising record in his bid to flip the crucial swing state of Nevada away from Democrats in November.

According to Brown’s campaign, the former U.S. Army officer raised a massive $1.85 million in the fourth quarter last year, more than any challenger to an incumbent running for re-election in Nevada history.

When combined with his third quarter fundraising, Brown’s campaign brought in a whopping $3.04 million, also a record for that combined time frame.

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Former U.S. Army Captain and Republican Nevada Senate candidate Sam Brown. (Sam Brown for Nevada)

Brown’s fundraising notably bested that of incumbent Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen, who Brown would likely face in the general election should he win the Republican primary in June, when she was a challenger to former Republican Sen. Dean Heller in 2018.

“I’m extremely grateful that tens of thousands of everyday Americans have dug deep and contributed to this campaign,” Brown told Fox News Digital. “Every day, as we travel throughout Nevada and speak with voters, I’m reminded of why this race is so critical to the future of our state.” 

“Through their reckless policies, Jacky Rosen and Joe Biden have made the American Dream unattainable for most Nevadans and left our borders wide open to drugs and violence,” he said. “Our grassroots campaign is about ending Joe Biden and Jacky Rosen’s American Nightmare, securing our borders, and restoring prosperity.” 

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Democratic Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen (left) and former Republican Nevada Senate candidate and Afghanistan war veteran Sam Brown (right). (Getty Images)

Brown added that he was “humbled” at the inspiration of people across Nevada and the U.S., and said victory would ultimately come by ensuring every American has access to the American Dream.

“Under Joe Biden and Jacky Rosen, Nevada has struggled with the highest unemployment rate in the country, the highest energy costs, and some of the worst performing schools in America. Nevadans want hope for a better future, and Sam Brown’s People’s Agenda will deliver the solutions we need to recover and thrive,” Brown’s campaign manager, Faith Jones, told Fox.

“Nevadans know what’s at stake this election, and that’s why we’re uniting in support of Sam Brown for U.S. Senate,” she added.

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Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., leaves the Senate Democrats lunch in the Mansfield Room in the Capitol on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Brown is a Purple Heart recipient who sustained serious injuries from an IED explosion during a 2008 deployment in Afghanistan, which left his face severely burned.

He was a first-time Senate candidate in 2022 as he sought to oust Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, but he came in second to former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt in Nevada’s GOP primary. He lost by 22 points to Laxalt, who had the backing of former President Donald Trump and the Senate Leadership Fund.

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This time, Brown is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and is so far seen as the front-runner for the nomination and a potential shot at Rosen. However, he does face a crowded primary field that includes former Trump Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter, veteran Air Force pilot Tony Grady, and former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub