Jacky Rosen swiftly scores Nevada Democratic Senate nod ahead of 'toss up' election

Rosen will face off against the winner of the much more competitive Republican Senate primary

Trump endorses Sam Brown for Senate in Nevada

Nevada Senate candidate and U.S. Army Captain (Ret.) Sam Brown reacts to Trump's endorsement and what inspired him to run for office. 

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., handily won Nevada's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, setting her up for a difficult general election match come November in the swing state. 

The incumbent Democrat managed to easily defeat her opponents, Troy Walker and Mike Schaefer, in the election. 

SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY BLASTS 'SURREPTITIOUS' RECORDING AS DEMS TARGET JUSTICE ALITO

Jacky Rosen

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, speaks during a news conference on June 16, 2023, at the East Vegas Library.  (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

November will be Rosen's first reelection battle as a senator, and her seat is not guaranteed, with Nevada's Senate race being moved to a "toss up" earlier this year by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report

‘LOOSE CANNON’: SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING

Vulnerable Dem Sens

Sens. Jon Tester, Jacky Rosen, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey  (Getty Images: Anna Moneymaker, Drew Angerer, Ethan Miller, Sarah Silbiger)

Prior to running for Senate in 2017, she served as representative of Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District in the House. According to Rosen, late former Senate Majority Leader and Democratic powerhouse Harry Reid encouraged her to run for the Senate seat. She managed to defeat incumbent Senator Dean Heller, who was considered incredibly vulnerable at the time. 

TRUMP TO MEET WITH HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS IN DC THIS WEEK

Harry Reid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Getty Images)

"He told me to think about it and that's what I did when I came home to talk to my husband," she told the Nevada Independent in 2017. 

MIKE LEE PRAISES TRUMP FOR RESISTING CLINTON LAWFARE, WARNS BIDEN OF SLIPPERY SLOPE

Joe Biden and Donald Trump split image

Joe Biden and Donald Trump split image (Getty Images)

However, Rosen now appears to be in a similar position to that of Heller, trying to hang onto her seat in an ever-fluid battleground state. She also faces the difficulty of running alongside President Biden, who has managed to receive historically low approval ratings and is at risk of losing Nevada in the general election. 

Rosen's race is one of only three "toss-ups" in the Senate elections, alongside Ohio and Montana. Each race features a Democratic incumbent, putting the caucus at a significant disadvantage, given Republican incumbents are considered relatively safe. 

She will face off against the winner of the much more competitive Republican Senate primary, who is expected to be front-runner former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown. Brown was recruited and encouraged to run by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and received a late endorsement from former President Trump just two days before the election. Trump had withheld his seal of approval throughout the primary campaign as Brown competed against former Trump official Jeff Gunter. 

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner. 

Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Authored by Julia Johnson via FoxNews June 11th 2024