LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An informal poll of 8 News Now web users indicates that almost two of every three people surveyed think that Republican challenger Sam Brown beat Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen in Thursday’s debate of Nevada’s candidates for U.S. Senate. By late Thursday night, exactly 60% of those polled named Brown the victor.
Who do you think won tonight's #NVSenateDebate?
— 8 News Now (@8NewsNow) October 18, 2024
Held at KLAS-TV studios in Las Vegas, the showdown was the only face-to-face debate between Brown – the retired U.S. Army Captain – and Rosen in advance of the election on November 5.
Brown and his staff, however, did not participate in any of the post-debate spin or press conferences. Indeed, Rosen and a member of her staff spoke with the assembled national and local media after the debate. Rosen took issue with Brown’s assertion that he supports Nevada’s abortion legislation, allowing women to terminate a pregnancy within 24 weeks of their pregnancy.
“I stand by that we should allow for women to have exceptions for rape, incest and threat to the life of the mother,” Brown said during the debate.
“I don’t believe Nevada women can trust him,” Rosen said after the debate, referring to Brown’s record on abortion. “And I can tell you this, there’s no way he’s not going to vote for a nationwide abortion ban.
Actual polling data for this contest shows Rosen ahead by about eight points. But if 2022’s U.S. Senate race is any indication, it could come down to the wire. That race — between current Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto and GOP challenger Adam Laxalt, was determined by less than one percent.
The contest between Brown and Rosen could decide which party holds the majority in the U.S. Senate. Both candidates are now vying for votes all across Nevada, which is one of seven battleground states in the U.S. presidential race. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Brown, who lost in Nevada’s 2022 GOP senate primary.
At Thursday’s debate, the two candidates also sparred over immigration. Brown attacked Rosen, claiming the first-term senator had only visited the border once. Rosen said she’s been to the border multiple times.
“Since I’ve been in the Senate, I’ve been calling for comprehensive immigration reform,” Rosen said. “One that secures our border, one that stops the deadly flow of crime and fentanyl, has a humane and orderly asylum process and pathways to citizenship.”
Brown said: “This administration on day one – President Biden went in and started dismantling the secure border and the policies around that that we have. Now here’s one of the things that an insider like Senator Rosen won’t tell anyone, is that she sits on the Homeland Security Comittee. She’s supposed to have our back.”
The candidates did find some common ground on former President Trump’s suggestion that the government not tax income service-industry workers like waitstaff and bartenders make on tips.
“I’m glad that this is something that I think there’s a bipartisan opportunity for us to work together on,” Brown said.
8 News Now anchor John Langeler — who moderated the hourlong debate with 8 News Now anchor Denise Valdez and education reporter Joshua Peguero – put the issue into more focus by explaining that the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget cautioned that such an idea could cost the U.S. economy $450 billion in lost tax revenue.
Rosen, who has the endorsement of the powerful Local 226 culinary union, said she does not want “no taxes on tips” measure to be misused.
“The other thing we have to do when we work on these bills is make sure we put in guardrails so that giant corporations – those greedy CEOs that are ripping you off making record profit quarter after quarter – don’t decide that their salary or bonus is a tip and they don’t pay taxes.”
The candidates also spoke about the affordable housing shortage in Nevada, as well as their ideas for a successful deal between the states that share water on the Colorado River.
Additionally, 8 News Now Investigator George Knapp made a cameo in a recorded segment during which he asked the candidates whether Congress should investigate UFOs. He showed certain video of so-called UAPs, which stands for unidentified aerial phenomena.”
“Do you support more UFO transparency, and should Congress create something independent of the Department of Defense to conduct the research,” Knapp asked.
“I do think it’s important that we do our independent investigation,” Rosen said.
Brown said: “I think I’m just as curious as anyone. I’d love to know what’s going on. I never saw any sort of technology like that when I was in the service. I’m not sure I fully trust Congress to be able to figure it out.”
Knapp pointed out that new UAP hearings are scheduled in both the U.S. House of Representatives and in the Senate.
Early voting in Nevada begins Saturday. Voters can check their registration and opt in or out of receiving a mail-in ballot on Clark County’s website or with the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office.
New voters wishing to receive a mail-in ballot must register to vote by Oct. 22. Voters registering after Oct. 23 must vote in person. New voters can also register in person up to and on Election Day. Voters in Clark County do not have to go to a specific precinct to vote in person. Nevada’s election machines do not connect to the internet and have no modem.
