Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and military veteran Sam Brown squared off Thursday night in their only debate of the cycle, going toe to toe on issues such as bringing down costs for Nevada families and securing the southern border.

In a live, one-hour, televised debate in Las Vegas hosted by 8 News Now, the CBS affiliate, the two candidates often reverted back to their general campaign playbooks, with Brown accusing Rosen of being out of touch with Nevadans’ lives and Rosen focusing on her own Senate record.

Moderators — two Channel 8 anchors and one reporter — asked questions on a slew of policy areas, including the economy, immigration, energy and abortion, as well as adding a moment of levity when they asked whether Congress should conduct an independent investigation into the presence of UFOs — to which Rosen agreed, and Brown said “maybe Elon Musk can” because he does not fully trust Congress before pivoting to attacking Rosen’s stock holdings.

But the two also frequently did not answer questions directly posed by the moderators — even after being asked follow-up questions — with Rosen often praising her record, and Brown switching gears to criticize Rosen for helping President Joe Biden’s administration pass its agenda.

There were also a few gaffes — Brown said at one point that under former President Donald Trump “we saw record illegal crossings, we need that again” and Rosen said that she met with the hostages taken by Hamas (she met with the families of hostages).

It was a debate that provided little news and instead brought into sharper focus both candidates’ general campaign strategies, which were summed up through their closing statements.

Brown said Rosen was beholden to “coastal elites” and “D.C. talking points,” and urged voters to turn the page, while Rosen noted her 50-year residency in Nevada and record of bipartisanship, without explicitly pointing out that Brown — who moved to Reno in 2018 — has had a shorter tenure.

All cycle long, Rosen, a first-term senator from Henderson and former computer programmer and synagogue president, has held polling and fundraising leads over Brown, an Army veteran who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle. While polls have slightly tightened in recent weeks, RealClearPolling’s monthly average still finds Rosen up 5.5 percentage points, and she has been among the best fundraisers for sitting Senate candidates.

After the debate, which was held at Channel 8’s studios in Las Vegas, both candidates had the opportunity to speak with reporters. Brown and his team left immediately after the debate ended, while Rosen took a few questions in the makeshift “spin room.”

Rosen, in a brief interview with The Indy, said the strategy of focusing on her record rather than characterizing Brown personally, particularly where it’s Nevada-centric, was “intentional.”

Economy

Routinely ranked as the top issue in polling in a state whose economic recovery has lagged behind the rest of the country, Rosen sought to portray economic frustration as a referendum on corporate behavior while Brown laid the blame on Democratic spending.

Rosen acknowledged rising prices during the course of Biden’s presidency and touted legislation she’s sponsored to take on corporations, including opposing the Kroger-Albertsons merger and cracking down on corporate homebuying. 

In response to a question on one policy he would bring to reduce grocery costs, Brown pivoted to energy policies, accusing Rosen and the Biden administration of driving up energy costs by investing in clean energy programs.

The two also discussed a policy they both support — ending taxation on tips, a key flashpoint in the presidential race since Trump proposed it in Las Vegas in June and Harris followed suit two months later. Rosen and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) were also the first Democrats to sign onto a proposal from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to end federal taxation on tips. 

Brown did not answer a question about who specifically should be the beneficiaries of a policy to end taxes on tipped wages, saying “if you’re receiving tips, then you ought to not have to pay taxes on those tips.” He also repeated his support of ending taxes on Social Security benefits.

Meanwhile, Rosen, taking a populist tack, said that the conversation on the policy should “start with” hospitality workers, including servers, bartenders and waitresses, and that there should be limits to ensure that CEOs don’t count bonuses as tips and therefore not pay taxes on them.

“W​hen we work on these bills, [we have to] 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,” she said.

She also said there needs to be federal legislation related to the subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been abolished in Nevada. Rep. Steven Horsford (R-NV) introduced legislation ending taxes on tips while also putting a national ban on the subminimum wage, which can be as low as $2.13 hourly in some states.

Abortion

Brown reiterated the position he announced in February that he would not support a national abortion ban, in accordance with Nevada law protecting abortion up to 24 weeks — a departure from a position he took in Texas during a state legislative run a decade ago, when he supported a 20-week ban. Rosen took the opportunity to pounce on the issue, which has been a key focus in her ads and in her attacks on Brown.

Brown noted that he was against any adjustments to the filibuster — the Senate threshold that requires 60 votes to end debate and pass most legislation — while Rosen said she would support a carveout for restoring Roe v. Wade. 

Housing

Housing has continually polled high among top issues for Nevadans, with home and rental prices surging and the state significantly lacking a supply of affordable housing. Rosen took the opportunity to plug legislation she has introduced to crack down on corporate homebuying, an issue that is particularly prevalent in North Las Vegas.

Rosen also did not answer a question about which specific corporations are taking over the housing market, referring to them as “big Wall Street investors.”

The two also discussed the Washoe County lands bill, a Rosen proposal that would open up new federal lands for development — including 35 acres for housing — while permanently protecting other parcels for conservation. In the lengthy history of Nevada lands bills, Rosen’s proposal is the first to include a set-aside for affordable housing — but Brown dinged her on it, saying 35 acres is too low. 

Immigration

Brown would not directly answer when asked if he would support Trump’s pledge to conduct a mass deportation, saying such a plan would be a “very big logistical undertaking” that starts with greater border security and deportation of criminals who came to the U.S. illegally.

Rosen, as Democrats around the country have done, noted her support for a bipartisan border security bill that would have restricted asylum, while adding that she wants to see a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status holders. She did not directly say whether the next president should keep new border policies implemented by Biden in place.  

Energy

The two clashed on clean energy numerous times — Brown accused Democrats, including Rosen, of driving up gas prices by favoring clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Rosen defended those investments, noting that clean energy industries are significant employers in Nevada, particularly in the solar, geothermal and wind sectors. 

The Inflation Reduction Act has sent billions of dollars to Nevada through tax credits, loans and grants to build out clean energy investments. Rosen, who voted for it, touted those investments in solar and lithium in particular. Brown countered by saying that sustainable energy leads to higher costs.

Foreign policy

With the debate occurring on the same day that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza, both candidates were asked about whether there was any red line when it came to supporting Israel. 

Brown said that there was no red line Israel could cross to lose his support, and praised Trump for the peaceful era in the Middle East during his presidency. 

Rosen, who is one of the most active supporters of Israel among Senate Democrats and traveled to the region a week after the Oct. 7 attack, said that Israel has a responsibility to limit civilian casualties and ensure humanitarian aid gets into Gaza, while noting that Israel has a right to defend itself — the most common position held by Democrats running in vulnerable seats this year.

Rosen and Brown said they opposed a new Biden administration policy giving the Israelis 30 days to ensure aid gets into Gaza, under threat of an arms embargo.

This story was updated at 10:00 a.m. on 10/18/24 to correct when Sam Brown announced he would not support a national abortion ban.