Sam Brown, the Republican vying for Nevada’s competitive Senate seat, entered the debate on Thursday night with a sizable deficit in surveys and a clear mission: rattle his Democratic opponent, Senator Jacky Rosen, and forcefully make the case that he was the candidate who would fight for working people.

In a policy-heavy hour, Mr. Brown repeatedly sought to harness the persistent economic malaise in Nevada to his benefit, arguing that he understood blue-collar voters’ woes over the price of gasoline and groceries, and that Ms. Rosen was out of touch.

“Most of us can’t afford basic life at this point, and it’s easy for Senator Rosen, as an elitist who lives in a gated community” to support green energy sources, he said at one point.

Ms. Rosen, a first-term senator, often hit back, and she was prepared with a litany of accomplishments and bills she had supported, saying she had championed more affordable housing and would attack the corporate interests that she blamed for high prices. She suggested Mr. Brown “wants to inflict pain” on Nevadans by raising interest rates, and hammered him on his past opposition to abortion.

Both candidates came across as relatively mild-mannered — despite moments of contention and interruptions — and it was not clear that any of the attacks would leave a lasting mark, which could spell trouble for Mr. Brown, who is trailing in polls. Republicans have been privately griping about his campaign’s chances, and were watching for him to make a forceful case against Ms. Rosen onstage, though the moderators at KLAS, a local television station, quickly cut off any extended exchanges or arguments.

Mr. Brown landed several punches, turning questions about housing policy, renewable energy and even U.F.O.s into jabs about his opponent’s wealth; Ms. Rosen is a multimillionaire with a wide portfolio of stocks and index funds, though her campaign said she had not traded individual stocks in the last five years.

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