Candidates notch wins in Nevada U.S. House primaries

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

Voters in Nevada selected incumbent and new partisan candidates in the primary races for the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Here are some of the early results and projections.

U.S. House, District 2

Democrat Theresa Benitez-Thompson will face the winner of the Republican primary on Nov. 3 to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, who announced he would not run for reelection.

David Flippo and James Settelmeyer held the lead in the race for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District. Flippo had 41.3% of the vote and Settlemeyer had 38.17% of the vote at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Nevada Secretary of State’s website.

Flippo, an Air Force veteran, led Republican candidates in fundraising for the race and secured a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump.

“He is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Warriors in Nevada, and many Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Trump wrote in his endorsement.

Flippo’s campaign has focused on reducing foreign energy dependence, cutting government spending and supporting Trump’s agenda.

“We need a forward-thinking approach that leverages American resources, innovation and infrastructure to lower costs, boost our economy and strengthen national security,” Flippo’s website reads.

Settelmeyer, director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, touted his record in the state Senate to block tax hikes on residents.

“James believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility and the power of local communities to shape their own future,” Settelmeyer’s website reads.

Benitez-Thompson secured the Democratic nomination in a seat Democrats are hoping to flip. She had 46.73% of the vote by 10:40 p.m.

She has focused her campaign on creation of a public-option healthcare plan and undoing cuts to welfare programs in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“I am running on an integrated plan: restore hundreds of millions of tax dollars stripped from Nevada by Elon Musk and DOGE; develop strong regulations to prevent massive job layoffs due to AI; and build workforce housing that everyday Nevandans can afford,” Benitez-Thompson’s website reads.

District 3

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, is the projected winner of the Democratic primary with an overwhelming 73.03% of the vote by 10:40 p.m.

In the Republican primary, Marty O’Donnell, an audio producer, is projected to advance to the general election after winning 43.75% of the vote.

Lee has touted her ranking as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. The Lugar Center at Georgetown University placed her in the ranking among 10 other lawmakers in 2023.

Lee voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a signature piece of legislation that contained many provisions for the Trump administration’s agenda.

“Leaders who choose to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans while cutting health care for families in need don’t deserve to be in office,” Lee wrote on social media.

O’Donnell secured an early endorsement from Trump. He has touted his support for Trump’s immigration enforcement policies and protections against artificial intelligence in the workforce.

The National Republican Congressional Committee celebrated O’Donnell’s lead in the Republican primary and slammed Lee.

“Susie Lee is nothing but a self-serving career politician who puts herself first and Nevada families last,” NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez said in a statement to The Center Square. “Instead of standing up for Nevadans, Lee has repeatedly backed radical policies that have driven up costs, weakened public safety, and fueled the border crisis, including voting against No Tax on Tips.”

District 4

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nevada, will compete to hold onto his seat in November against small business owner Cody Whipple, the apparent Republican winner.

Whipple was projected to defeat attorney Ronda Kennedy on Tuesday night. As of 10:40 p.m., Whipple had 61.14% of the vote, far ahead of Kennedy, who had 22.39%.

Whipple focused his campaign on advancing legislation to support small businesses and ranchers. He has raised more than $451,000 in his congressional campaign and took out $300,000 in loans.

“I’m proud to invest in my own campaign,” Whipple said. “[My wife and I] will continue to support this campaign with everything we have.”

Kennedy boasted of her work to fight against closures of gun stores during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“She defended small businesses across California and Nevada that were unjustly threatened with closure and fines — and she won,” Kennedy’s website reads.

Horsford, who is projected to win the Democratic nomination with 43.75% of the vote, told The Center Square he would focus his campaign on extending tax credits through the Affordable Care Act.

“Congressman Horsford fights for the people who make Nevada work to ensure that working families have higher wages, lower costs, access to affordable housing, dignity in healthcare, and making sure the next generation has all the resources they need to thrive,” a spokesperson for Horsford told The Center Square.

For updates on races, go to www.thecentersquare.com/nevada and the Nevada Secretary of State’s website, nvsos.gov.