Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt defeats war veteran Sam Brown in Nevada Republican senate primary

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WATCH HERE: Nevada voters reveal priorities ahead of primary

Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt will face Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto in a battleground state race that could be pivotal in Republicans' efforts to win back control of the Senate.

Laxalt had 56% of the vote compared to first-time Senate candidate Adam Brown's 33% when the Associated Press called the race.

Laxalt, who served as the state's attorney general from 2015-2019, was considered the front-runner in the race and was backed by both former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

Both former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backed Laxalt, Nevada’s former attorney general. But Brown won the Nevada Republican Party's endorsement in April. (Adam Laxalt campaign)

Brown, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who sustained serious injuries from a roadside bomb during a 2008 deployment, vowed to defend conservative principles in Washington, D.C., but said he would also advocate for Nevada as its representative in the Senate.

NEVADA SENATE CANDIDATE SAM BROWN SAYS FRONT-RUNNER LAXALT HAS ‘TAKEN VOTERS FOR GRANTED’

Army veteran and first time Senate candidate Sam Brown is running for the GOP nomination in the swing state of Nevada. (Sam Brown Senate campaign)

Brown won the Nevada Republican Party's endorsement in April.

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Fox News' Matt Leach and Teny Sahakian contributed to this report.