Competitive Congressional GOP primaries for an open seat in northern Nevada and for November berths to challenge Democratic incumbents in three Las Vegas-area U.S. House districts have Republicans outpacing Democrats in early voting tallies.
Voters registered as Democrats returned more mail-in ballots while those enrolled as Republicans cast more in-person tallies over the first six days of the early voting period, which ends June 5, the state reported.
As of mid-day on May 29, the Secretary of State’s office reported those early 34,000 in-person ballots were cast by 18,262 voters registered as Republicans, 11,743 as Democrats, and fewer than 3,000 enrolled as nonpartisan or in third parties.
Since 2021, all registered voters in Nevada have received ballots in the mail unless they contact their local county elections office to opt out. Mailed-in ballots must be postmarked no later than June 9 to be counted.
Of 567,258 ballots mailed to the state’s 656,502 registered Republicans, more than 28,550 had been returned, the Nevada Secretary of State’s office reported. Of 571,386 mailed to the state’s 666,031 registered Democrats, more than 34,220 had been returned as of May 29.
Only the 1.3 million voters registered as Democrats and Republicans can participate in closed party primaries in Nevada, but nonpartisans still receive ballots to vote in local municipal, school board, and water and power district contests on their June 9 ballots.
That means Nevada’s largest voting constituency, those registered without a party affiliation, are non-factors in determining the candidates who advance in partisan primaries, but will decide who wins November’s general elections.
And while nearly all June 9 county ballots feature competitive, highly contested local elections, the four Republican House primaries are the races being most closely watched in the state and across the nation.
Key Endorsement
In February, Republican Rep. Mark Amodei announced he would not seek a ninth term in Nevada’s Congressional District 2 (CD 2), which spans more than 65,000 square miles and encompasses 11 counties. About two-thirds of CD 2’s voters live in Washoe County, the state’s second most-populated county that includes Reno.
Amodei is among 57 of 435 incumbents, including 36 Republicans, not seeking 2026 reelection in a House the GOP holds by a narrow 217-212 majority. Thirteen GOP hopefuls are vying to succeed him in a district Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball all rate as solid or safe Republican.
Among favorites to win the Republican CD 2 berth is financial adviser and Iraq War Air Force combat commander Dave Flippo, who was defeated in the 2024 CD 4 GOP primary, and Nevada Conservation and Natural Resources Director James Settelmeyer.
Flippo is running as a “Trump Republican,” touts his military leadership background, and emphasizes his support for affordable domestic energy generation. He’s been endorsed by the Washoe County Republican Central Committee and, on May 29, secured President Donald Trump’s backing.
A fourth-generation Nevadan, rancher, and former Nevada State Senate Republican Leader, Settelmeyer maintains he’s best-suited to represent “the values and interests of northern Nevada” in Congress. He co-chaired Trump’s 2020 campaign in Nevada and has been endorsed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and Amodei.
The Republican CD 2 primary is the most intriguing of Nevada’s June 9 House primary contests, but the crowded GOP races in the three House districts in the Clark County area will again feature party rivals seeking a November shot at unseating incumbent Democrats.
Among the 26 Democrat-held House seats the National Republican Congressional Committee identifies as “prime pick-up opportunities” for Republicans are Nevada’s CD 1 held by nine-term incumbent Rep. Dina Titus; CD 3 occupied by Rep. Susie Lee, who is seeking a fifth term; and CD 4, held by six-term incumbent Rep. Steve Horsford.
None of the three incumbent Democrats face much primary pressure—Horsford has no challenger—and each has amassed significant war chests to take on the Republican June 9 winner in November.
Among six hopefuls vying for the CD 1 GOP nod are Trump-endorsed state Sen. Carrie Buck (R-Henderson) and 2024 candidates Save Education-Save America founder and CEO Jim Blockey and appliance repair company owner and radio/stand-up comedian Michael Boris.
There are four candidates campaigning for the Republican berth in CD 3, one of 14 U.S. House districts that voted for Trump in 2024 but elected a Democrat to Congress. They are Trump-endorsed “Halo” composer Marty O’Donnell, former U.S. Ambassador Jeff Gunter—both also ran in 2024—neurosurgeon Dr. Aury Nagy, and developer Tera Anderson.
The GOP CD 4 primary pits attorney Ronda Kennedy, a 2024 Republican primary candidate, pharmacy technician Anthony Snowden, and rancher Cody Whipple against each other. As of May 29, Trump had not issued an endorsement in this primary.
Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff, is seeking reelection after unseating Democratic incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022. He is near-certain to square off against two-term Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford in November. Neither faces a significant primary challenge.
