Army veteran Sam Brown has been conducting meets and greets and visiting rural Nevada as he begins his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Catherine Cortez Masto.
The personable Brown has traveled within the local area having delivered speeches and answered questions in Fernley, Dayton and mostly recently in front of the Churchill County Republican Women. He also attended the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival.
Brown said after a meeting in Reno and talking to others within the Republican Party, he saw a need to represent Nevada. “Folks like us have not been represented well,” he said.
But it was the last election in November that spurred Brown to become involved.
CRW photo U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown, center, meets with the Churchill Republican Women. Linda Hartweg, left, and K.J. Tackett.
“The political elites, the big tech that use people like us to enrich themselves or use us as political pawns dangle something out in front of us,” he said.
Brown reached a breaking point and he also saw how more people were moving to the left in their politics. One more Democratic Party pickup in the Senate, he said, would’ve led to the end of the filibuster.
“They no longer represent our interests,” Brown pointed out. “Small business has been crushed.”
Brown cited an example where his younger brother, a software engineer, was unable to find a job in that profession.
The Arkansas native who grew up on a farm said the elected officials “who run their show out of Washington, D.C.” are abusing the electorate. Brown said not everyone has the ability or time to run for an office.
“My goal is to be your champion in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Brown said he could relate to the voters in Fernley, Dayton and Fallon. He said those communities like the ones in Arkansas are built on people doing what they say they’re going to do.
Before Brown and his family moved to Reno, Brown received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He had developed an interest in the military due to his family.
“My father was in the National Guard, and he taught we had a duty to serve our nation,” Brown said.
As a high school senior 20 years ago, Brown said the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, prompted him to apply for admission to a military university, receive a degree and then serve his nation. He was commissioned an infantry officer and began additional training.
“Duty. Honor Country. That’s not a motto. That’s a part of who I am,” Brown said.
Two years later, Brown was deployed with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Kandahar, Afghanistan. While on a mission, however, his platoon was ambushed, and his vehicle struck a roadside bomb, injuring Brown.
Brown was flown to Fort Sam Houston at San Antonio, Texas, where his three-year road to recovery was long. He also met his future, Amy, a nurse who worked in the burn unit. After being discharged from the hospital and leaving the service, he obtained a Masters in Business Administration. Having lived in a large metropolitan area with millions of people, Sam and Amy and their three children decided to relocate to Reno because it was a smaller community and near lakes and mountains.
What prompted Brown to seek a Senate seat? He said the country is in deep trouble.
“Our leaders have abandoned us,” he said. “The things that are important are the values.”
He emphasized it’s not a Republican issue but an American issue.
Brown said he’s also troubled with the children separated by their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
As for the campaign, he said the race will be a challenge. He said he’s running because of the people and issues such as election integrity, immigration and adherence to the Constitution. As a veteran, he wants to help that group more and improve their lives and their families well-being.
With Afghanistan in the news, he said foreign policy is to protect the United States. He emphasized his stand is spelled out on his website: “America is a force for good across the world, but our political leaders have used our unrivaled influence to intervene in matters that do not always have a direct impact on the security and well-being of Americans.” Brown said health care doesn’t need burdensome intervention by the government. He wants healthcare to be more affordable.
Need to know To see more of Sam Brown’s positions, go to https://www.captainsambrown.com/issues.
CRW photo