Senate GOP campaign chair predicts Trump will endorse Sam Brown in Nevada Senate race

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chief Sen. Steve Daines of Montana said Wednesday that he believes former President Donald Trump will back the party's choice of Sam Brown to represent Nevada in the Senate.

The NRSC endorsed Brown last July, praising his service as an Afghanistan war veteran. Brown also ran for a Nevada seat in 2022, but Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt won the Republican nomination instead. This year Brown is facing former Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter, former state Rep. Jim Marchant, and former lieutenant governor candidate Tony Grady for the Republican nomination on June 11.

Daines said he has spoken to Trump multiple times this past week about endorsing Brown, but other Trump allies have endorsed Gunter.

“I think he’s going to,” Daines told Politico of Trump backing Brown. “This is a situation where President Trump helps Sam Brown. I think Sam Brown helps President Trump. He’s the guy President Trump wants standing by him … I think they help each other.” 

The NRSC has been able to convince Trump to support other candidates in the past, including securing the former president's support for Tim Sheehy, who just won the Republican nomination for the Senate in Montana, and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who is running to replace Sen. Joe Manchin.

“President Trump has done a real good job working with the NRSC on supporting candidates,” North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told Politico. "[Brown is] already trending in the right direction. But I think [an endorsement] would remove any doubt. And I feel strongly we have to weigh in when there’s a clearly better candidate to match up against an incumbent.”

The Republican nominee will likely face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in November. But the GOP faces an uphill battle in the swing state, which has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 2012. However, Nevada has had several Republican governors since.