Brown campaigns in Fallon, urges rural residents to vote

Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Army veteran Sam Brown made a campaign stop in Fallon on Wednesday accompanied by Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso.

Early voting ends Friday, and the general election is Tuesday at the Fallon Convention Center.

Brown appeared at the Old Post Office for a greet-and-meet. He emphasized his stance on a number of issues in his race against first-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen.

A 2006 U.S. Military Academy graduate, Brown received serious injuries in Afghanistan after a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in September 2008. He took time to recognize the veterans who attended his rally.

“The rural counties are needed for the race,” Brown said.

With the number of Democrats voting early in Clark County, Nevada’s largest county, Brown said it’s important for rural Nevada’s Republican voters to cast ballots between now and the general election. He said former President Donald Trump is visiting Las Vegas again, and his running mate, JD Vance, visited Reno and then Las Vegas.

“It’s not just the presidential race, it’s our Senate race as well,” Brown said.

Brown reminded his audience Rosen was elected six years ago and encouraged to run for Senate by the Reid Machine. The late Sen. Harry Reid wielded immense political power in the state before he died in 2021.

Now, Brown said Rosen is faithful to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the current Democratic presidential candidate.

Brown said the current administration has been weak on securing the border between the United States and Mexico, citing the number of people crossing the border who’ve been on a watch list or have criminal records. He said about 350,000 unaccompanied children — a number significantly lower than reported by The Associated Press — have also crossed the border.

Brown changed the conversation to voting.

The 41-year-old Brown asked Wednesday’s audience how many have voted early, and about 80% raised their hands. He said four years ago, about 50% of the early votes came from the Democrats, but today he said 42% of the Republicans have already voted before the general. election.

“Guess where that’s coming from,” he asked. “It’s coming from the rurals.”

Brown said local Republicans and volunteers must continue to push to get voters to the polls or for them to mail in their early ballots. He said everyone needs to double-down on the effort.

“It’s time for us to take our country back,” he urged. “I have your backs because you have my back.”

In addition to talking about the border, Brown said Social Security benefits shouldn’t be taxed, and males should not be allowed to play on female sports teams or be in the locker rooms.

“It’s a matter of safety and fairness,” said Brown, who has an 11-year-old daughter.

Brown referenced his comments to the University of Nevada, Reno’s decision to forfeit a volleyball match to San Jose State University. Members of the Nevada team refused to play the Spartans because of a transgender player on the team.

Barrasso, when he spoke, also discussed the same situation and said the University of Wyoming took a stand and also refused to play San Jose State in women’s volleyball.

Brown also asked the Fallon residents if they were better off than four years ago. He then cited the higher costs of food and gasoline.

“President Trump left office when gasoline was just over $2 a gallon,” Brown said.

Barrasso, who became a senator in 2007, echoed Brown’s remarks about veterans. He said his father, who received five Bronze Stars, was a World War II veteran who fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, was also a rodeo doctor for many years. The 72-year-old senator was in private practice in Casper, Wyoming, from 1983 to 2007.

Barrasso, who is set to become the No. 2 Republican in the Senate and also the whip, accused the Democrats of trying to gain statehood for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to stack the deck with four more Democratic senators. He also said the United States must remain strong because “many enemies don’t fear us, and many countries don’t respect us.”

Afterward, Barrasso briefly talked with the Lahontan Valley News and re-emphasized his support for Brown. He said Fallon reminds him of the small communities that dot Wyoming. Although he has traveled through other Nevada communities, this is the first time he has visited Fallon.

“The people here are the same,” he said. “We are good stewards of the land, and we enjoy our freedoms.”