Former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter and former U.S. Army officer Sam Brown. (State Department; Sam Brown for Nevada)
"Nevada voters deserve truthful, honest, straightforward politicians. … I'm the MAGA guy. I'm 110% pro-Donald Trump. That's who I am," Gunter told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"The reality is Sam Brown, Scam Brown, whatever you want to call him … he's a Mitch guy. He's a Nikki guy. That's who he's beholden to. I'm only beholden to one group, and that's the Nevada voters," he said, referencing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Republicans who have often broken with Trump on various issues.
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Brown, however, avoided directly engaging with Gunter while speaking with Fox News Digital over the weekend and has attempted to keep his focus on incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, as well as President Biden.
"Look, my record has been clear. I've been on the campaign trail effectively for the last three years," Brown said, alluding to his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for Senate against Adam Laxalt in 2022.
"I have been consistent. My issues have never changed. I am a pro-America First candidate, and I am extremely conservative. What other candidates do is just an indication of how desperate people are," he added, not mentioning Gunter by name.
Former U.S. Army Captain Sam Brown, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Nevada, speaks with supporters at the opening of a new campaign office in Reno April 27, 2024. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)
In a recent interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, he praised Trump's "America First vision" as the reason he "enthusiastically" voted for the former president, and, the same week, visited Mar-a-Lago to try and secure his support, according to a report by CNN.
Additionally, Kristy Wilkinson, Brown's campaign communications director, told Fox News Digital he "would be thrilled to have President Donald J. Trump's endorsement."
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"He is the most powerful endorsement in politics, and Sam greatly appreciates all that President Trump is doing to save our country," Wilkinson said.
Brown is the only battleground Republican Senate candidate backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee not to have Trump's endorsement.
It's unclear why Trump has yet to endorse in the race, but pro-Gunter and pro-Brown sources each expressed confidence to Fox that the former president's backing is well within reach.
Sen. Jacky Rosen speaks June 16, 2023, at the East Vegas Library in Las Vegas. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Aside from the rhetoric surrounding Trump, both candidates argue they're the only one who can take on Rosen and flip the seat for Republicans, who have struggled to produce wins in the Silver State in recent election cycles. According to the Rosen campaign, that's far from a foregone conclusion.
"Jacky Rosen has been ranked one of the most bipartisan and effective senators in the nation because of her proven record of political independence and her work across party lines to deliver for Nevada," Rosen campaign spokesperson Johanna Warshaw told Fox News Digital.
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"While extreme MAGA Republicans are busy tearing each other down in a divisive and expensive primary, Sen. Rosen is focused on communicating directly to voters about the work she’s doing to fight for Nevadans."
Little polling has been done on the race to indicate a clear leader in the Republican primary. However, Brown maintains a fundraising advantage and, in the few polls that have been conducted, appears to pose more of a challenge to Rosen than his GOP opponents, including Gunter, veteran Air Force pilot Tony Grady and former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant.
Elections analysts rate the race as either a toss-up, "tilt Democratic" or "lean Democratic."
The primaries will be held Tuesday, June 11.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
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