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Indy Elections is The Nevada Independent’s newsletter devoted to comprehensive and accessible coverage of the 2024 elections, from the race for the White House to the bid to take control of the Legislature.
In today’s edition: Democrats have opened attacks on leading Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown on abortion access, likely one of the top issues of the 2024 campaign. But what is Brown’s actual position on abortion in the first place? Plus, the Joe Biden campaign is back on TV.
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Days until:
- Nevada presidential primary: 63
- GOP presidential caucus: 65
- Election Day: 336
By Sean Golonka
Last year, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) won re-election in the tightest U.S. Senate race in the country with campaign messaging that focused heavily on her support for abortion access while contrasting her with Republican opponent Adam Laxalt’s anti-abortion positions.
Now, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is hoping to capitalize on the same type of messaging ahead of her 2024 re-election bid. But as Nevada Democrats have targeted the race’s Republican frontrunner, Sam Brown, over his stance on abortion, they’ve at times misrepresented his views and amplified years-old comments from a candidate who has said very little about the issue.
That included a pair of press conferences across the state last week that saw Democratic elected officials and leaders of abortion rights groups blast Brown on abortion while standing next to a sign claiming Brown supports banning abortion, even in cases of rape or incest.
Abortion is protected up to 24 weeks under Nevada law, and is legal beyond that point to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. Though only a majority vote could overturn Nevada’s law, a national ban could supersede state law and restrict access to abortion.
Democrats’ attacks underscore not only Brown’s standing atop the crowded GOP primary field, but also Democrats’ belief that abortion will again prove to be a key issue for Nevada voters who strongly favor abortion protections.
But what has Brown actually said about abortion?
‘Pro life’ view
While Brown’s campaign — both in his 2022 U.S. Senate run that ended with a second-place finish in the primary and ongoing 2024 bid — has focused primarily on the economy and anti-Democrat messaging, he has repeatedly stated he is “pro life.”
In a statement in September, Brown said that his view on abortion was shaped by his experience in Afghanistan, where Brown suffered severe burns in an explosion while deployed as a U.S. Army captain.
His campaign materials have provided little more insight into his position on abortion. In 2022, Brown’s campaign website said he opposed federal funding for abortion and would support nominated U.S. Supreme Court justices who “understand the importance of protecting life.”
His campaign site now has additional information about his opposition to “late term abortion” — which rarely takes place compared with abortions at earlier stages of gestation — and to “abortion without parental notification.” The site also highlights Brown’s support for adoption and improving pre- and postnatal care.
What about exceptions?
Last week, Nevada State Democratic Party Chair and Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas) claimed Brown would support an abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest. She pointed to a 2022 iVoterGuide survey from Brown, saying he “stated in his own words that he opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest.” In the survey, Brown answered a question about when abortion should be allowed with “risk of life to the mother.”
Brown told The Nevada Independent earlier this year that he supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and a threat to the life of a mother.
In a statement to KTVN last week, Brown’s campaign described Democrats’ recent attacks as “outright lies.”
Would he support a national abortion ban?
Brown has notably avoided the question. In an interview this summer after announcing his candidacy, Brown declined to say whether he would support or oppose a national abortion ban. He said he would not “deliberate on hypothetical legislation.”
But that has not stopped Democrats from claiming that he will support such a ban. State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) said at a press conference last week that national Republicans are “all in on Sam Brown” as a way to get “the votes that they need to bring a nationwide abortion ban to the floor of the U.S. Senate.”
Backing up their statements, Nevada Democrats point to Brown’s 2014 support for Texas’ then 20-week ban on abortion. At the time a state legislative candidate, Brown described the issue as “nonnegotiable” in a candidate forum.
Still, Brown has largely avoided answering questions about a national abortion ban in interviews with other media outlets.
Why are these attacks happening?
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, Democratic candidates emphasized their support for protecting abortion and outperformed expectations in the 2022 midterm elections. Voters have approved ballot measures protecting abortion even in conservative states, such as Kansas and Ohio.
Though Nevadans voted in 1990 to protect abortion in state law — a law that can only be overturned by a majority of voters — Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a constitutional amendment to protect abortion that is likely to land on the 2026 general election ballot. Separately, a reproductive rights group is pursuing a similar constitutional amendment that could end up on the 2024 general election ballot, though it is currently in legal limbo.
Now as those same groups amplify the issue in the Senate race, even one Republican candidate has attacked Brown on abortion. Jeff Gunter, a dermatologist and former Trump-appointed U.S. ambassador to Iceland, said on social media he does not support a national abortion ban and accused Brown of supporting a ban with no exceptions.
Brown has done little to rebut the attacks. Abortion remains a lower priority for a candidate more outwardly focused on federal spending and the economy. But if Rosen can follow Cortez Masto’s playbook from the 2022 cycle, the issue could boost Rosen’s re-election chances in a state where voters remain strongly in favor of abortion protections.
Former Trump attorney to cooperate with Nevada investigators in fake elector probe by Tabitha Mueller and Eric Neugeboren
In which the statute of limitations could pressure the attorney general’s office on fake electors.
Judge rules against state worker union challenging Lombardo veto of retroactive pay raise by Carly Sauvageau and Jacob Solis
Round one of the “who gets to veto what” legal battle goes to the governor.
Democratic legislator Shondra Summers-Armstrong to run for Las Vegas City Council by Tabitha Mueller
The circle of incumbent lawmakers continues to shrink.
Nevada legislators with rental properties voted against bills helping tenants by Jessica Hill, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Of the many fun facts within: nearly a third of all lawmakers are landlords.
Joe Biden — Your Family
In its latest multistate ad buy, President Joe Biden’s campaign is targeting major swing states with Your Family, a one-minute health care-focused spot. The ad is centered on “Jody,” a nurse from Nevada who called Trump era health care policy “troubling” and designed to “help the rich get richer.”
It’s the latest salvo from Democrats on the health care issue, who have for months sought to galvanize popular support for the Affordable Care Act and prescription drug pricing issues. It also comes as Trump has renewed calls to repeal and replace the Obama-era law if elected.
NV Dems — Veto Villain
Complete with tiny cartoon devil horns, the state Democratic Party launched a digital ad campaign Monday lambasting Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo as a “Veto Villain.” That villainy, per those ads, includes the vetoes of bills on election reforms, rent control for seniors, prescription drug price caps, universal school breakfast and lunch as well as a trio of gun control laws.
Those were among a record 75 vetoes issued by Lombardo this year, who sparred early and often with Democrats in the Legislature earlier this year.
The ad buy, set to run in competitive legislative districts, comes as Democrats have contended for months with a PAC supporting Lombardo, Better Nevada PAC. Though the PAC has done little in the way of formal spending, it has aggressively attacked incumbent Democratic lawmakers on social media over transparency and ethics issues.
— Jacob Solis
🏃 As Iowa looms, Laxalt exits DeSantis’ super PAC — As part of what later became a small exodus of top staffers, Adam Laxalt — chairman of the Ron DeSantis-linked Never Back Down super PAC — told staffers he was leaving to “return my time and attention to my family and law practice,” per a report friday from the New York Times. He was followed a day later by CEO Kristin Davison, who worked as Laxalt’s campaign manager in his 2018 run for governor.
⬅️ Biden goes west — The White House announced Biden would swing through Las Vegas on his way to Los Angeles on Friday, the president’s first trip to the state since a Lake Tahoe vacation in August. The L.A. swing could be a major boon to the president’s coffers, per the Los Angeles Times, which reported that the Hollywood fundraiser was offering top tickets nearing $1 million.
👋 Bye Bye Burgum — The Nevada GOP’s presidential caucus lost its only North Dakotan on Monday with the announcement that the state’s governor, Doug Burgum, was suspending his long-shot presidential campaign. His exit now leaves just five active candidates in the caucus, including every major candidate barring former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (who is the sole remaining active major candidate in the state-run primary).
🗳️ Voter roll cleanup narrows Dem edge — New voter registration numbers from the Nevada secretary of state’s office on Monday knocked about 21,000 voters off the rolls in November, a dip of 1.11 percent. About half of those voters (10,500) were Democrats, narrowing the party’s registration lead over Republicans to roughly 2.3 percent. Nonpartisans remain the largest single group, however, at 32.9 percent of all registered voters.
🗳️ Legislative candidate update — Gov. Joe Lombardo endorsed businessman Rafael Arroyo, a Republican challenger for Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas)’s seat, on Monday. And Assembly Democrats endorsed attorney Joe Dalia for Assembly District 29 last week. So far, only incumbent two state lawmakers (Sen. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) and Assemblyman Ken Gray (R-Dayton)) have yet to announce their plans for 2024. More details and other announcements on The Nevada Independent’s legislative candidate tracker here.
— Jacob Solis and Tabitha Mueller
And to ease you into the week, a few “posts” to “X” that caught our eye:
We’ll see you next week.
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