Who is Sam Brown, the Trump-endorsed candidate running for Nevada's U.S. Senate seat?

Former President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Army veteran Sam Brown, a candidate in the state’s crowded U.S. Senate primary, just hours after his rally in Nevada over the weekend.

“Sam Brown is a FEARLESS AMERICAN PATRIOT, a Purple Heart Recipient, who has proven he has the “PURE GRIT” and COURAGE to take on our Enemies, both Foreign and Domestic,” Trump wrote in the post. “Sam Brown has my Complete and Total Endorsement - HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”

The military veteran is seen as a frontrunner among the many candidates running for the Republican nomination in the state’s primary on Tuesday. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, he has the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo.

Though the Silver State hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate in two decades, Nevada is seen as a key battleground state in this election, and a GOP victory could help overhaul the Democrat’s 51-49 seat majority.

Many weren’t sure whether Brown would snag Trump’s endorsement after he was late to endorse the former president’s second term, but he quickly accepted the accolades.

“I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement of our grassroots Duty First movement for U.S. Senate,” Brown said in a press release.

“Together, we will work towards delivering a better future for every Nevadan! I look forward to helping President Trump pass the America First agenda in the U.S. Senate after we both win in November,” he added.

Who is Sam Brown?

Before he started campaigning for the U.S. Senate in Nevada, Brown was a U.S. Army captain who was severely burned while serving in Afghanistan in 2008 when a bomb went off under his vehicle, resulting in him undergoing more than 30 surgeries over three years.

He went on to manage an Amazon fulfillment center and eventually started a small business that provides emergency pharmaceutical support to veterans.

Before moving to Nevada, Brown lived in Texas, where he ran in the 2014 Republican primary for the State House. In 2022, he unsuccessfully ran in Nevada’s Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.

While Brown is seen as the one to beat for the Republican nomination, the field includes Dr. Jeff Gunter (a former ambassador to Iceland under Trump) and former Nevada Assemblyman Jim Marchant.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Sam Brown? Meet Trump's pick for Senate in Nevada