LAS VEGAS– Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada has won re-election, defeating Republican Sam Brown in a close but unusually quiet race for the battleground state.

The first-term senator had campaigned for abortion rights and positioned herself as a non-ideological politician, a formula that also worked for the state’s senior senator, Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, in her own re-election two years ago.

“Thanks, Nevada! I am honored and grateful to continue serving as your U.S. Senator,” Rosen said on the social platform X on Friday.

Brown, a retired Army captain who moved to Nevada from Texas in 2018 and has never held elected office, tried in vain to follow newly elected President Donald Trump’s strong performance in the blue-collar state. Trump won Nevada on Friday.

The Associated Press left phone and email messages Friday seeking comment on Brown’s campaign. In a Saturday morning post on X, Brown thanked Nevada.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve as your nominee, and while the outcome is not what we had hoped for, I am deeply moved by the trust, dedication and hope you have shown throughout this journey,” said Brown.

Brown had Trump’s support in the Republican primaries and won easily, but he had spent significantly more money during the campaign, allowing Rosen to dominate the airwaves for months.

Rosen, a former synagogue president and computer programmer in the Las Vegas area, took out ads touting herself as an independent who doesn’t listen to “party leaders.”

Analysts note that Nevada has a history of supporting no-nonsense senators who provide funding from Washington.

Rosen also highlighted her work expanding broadband internet access and helping connect Las Vegas to Southern California via light rail.

And she hammered Brown on his opposition to abortion rights, saying he would support a national abortion ban despite Brown’s statements that he respects Nevada voters’ choice decades ago to legalize abortions.

This year, a ballot measure was passed that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Voters must approve it again in 2026 to amend the constitution.

The battle for the Senate drew relatively little national attention for most of the campaign, a striking contrast to the presidential race as both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris focused on the state and its six electoral votes. Conservative money flowed in in the final days as the Republican Party posted a strong early performance, but Brown couldn’t fully fight back.

Brown, who received a Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan, was seriously injured by an improvised explosive device there in 2008 and underwent 30 surgeries while recovering. In campaign ads, he repeatedly mentioned that his face is still badly scarred from the attack.

He is also the founder of a medical company serving veterans.

Brown previously made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in 2022 to face Cortez Masto.

All four incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Nevada – three Democrats and one Republican – were also re-elected this year.

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Riccardi reported from Denver.