Reno, Nevada — Nevada’s only Republican congressional seat is open for the first time in 15 years, and the primary is testing Republican voters’ appetite for a veteran politician or a newcomer with support from President Donald Trump.
Republican Representative Mark Amodei He announced his retirement earlier this year, leading to an opening in the state’s 2nd District, which covers all of northern Nevada. He and the Republican governor. Joe Lombardo They support the former state senator. James Settelmeyer Against retired Lt. Col. David Flippo, who has never held elected office but has the endorsement of Trump and key allies in his MAGA movement. Primary is Tuesday.
Republicans boast a significant registration advantage in the district, and experts and strategists are watching the race for clues about how much influence Trump continues to exert over the party’s voters as he enters the latter half of his final term. Meanwhile, Nevada Democrats say they will try to flip the seat despite the uphill climb, and believe Flippo may be an easier opponent because his ties to Trump could alienate nonpartisan voters in the election. (Washoe Swing County).home of Reno.
Settelmeyer became the front-runner when he entered the race with nearly two decades of political experience in the Legislature and state government. But Flippo quickly gained attention when he switched from a congressional race in Southern Nevada. He began renting a house to run for the seat and brought with him endorsements from well-known conservative groups like Turning Point Action, which was founded by the late political activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump endorsed Flippo last week after the two candidates competed to showcase their ties to the president. Settelmeyer was a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 Nevada campaign.
“I love the state – the people are special! I will never let you down, and with David Flippo, I’m only adding to that statement,” Trump posted on his social media account.
The candidates focused on the economy and water Land use — a major issue in Nevada where the federal government owns the majority of the land — and they agree on many policies. This meant that their personalities and biographies were also at the heart of the campaign.
Flippo, a financial advisor, entered the race after well-known conservative figures in Nevada refused to run, saying the race needed a “strong conservative.”
He has focused his attacks on Settelmeyer’s voting record, including Settelmeyer’s support for allowing immigrants living in the country illegally to drive cars.
“I’m strong in my values, I’m strong in conservative principles, and I don’t have a voting record,” Flippo said in a recent interview.
But Settelmeier says his legislative record proves he understands the state and how to govern. He served in both the Senate and Assembly and as Director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He has pledged to return regularly to Nevada from Washington, as Amodei has done.
“It is very important that Northern Nevada, ultimately, chooses a Northern Nevadan to go to D.C. to represent Northern Nevada,” Settelmeier said recently to a small crowd in Washoe Valley.
He emphasized this message by pointing out Flippo’s recent move to the region as well as his lack of political experience. Flippo ran in the Republican primary for Nevada’s 4th District in 2024 and lost.
“Twenty years ago, we would have said this race might be a shoe-in for the more experienced candidate,” said Jeremy Gelman, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. “The way the GOP primary policies developed, that’s not the case anymore.”
Part of Amodei’s success has been his ability to support Trump’s agenda while sometimes speaking out against it, said Fred Lukin, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno.
He was the first Republican in the House of Representatives Support accountability He joined Trump in 2019, although he ultimately voted against impeachment. He criticized Trump’s anti-immigration campaign in Minnesota earlier this year and opposed efforts to defund public broadcasting in 2025.
In the Senate primaries in Louisiana and TexasGelman said Trump’s support played a big role in the outcome. Trump is determining who will help him get his key issues across the finish line in the final two years of his term, and will likely view Flippo as a better ally as his campaign focuses on more national issues.
Flippo has the support of national Republicans closely associated with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, such as former Rep. Matt Gaetz and the Freedom Caucus Fund, the political action committee of the hard-right conservative caucus of House Republicans. In his endorsement, Trump noted that Flippo has the support of “the most respected MAGA warriors in the state of Nevada.”
Meanwhile, the Settelmeyer campaign said voters in Northern Nevada “deserve a representative who knows our issues, understands our communities, and has the experience to represent them in Washington, not someone who just moved here when a political opportunity presented itself.”