Trump-backed David Flippo wins Nevada Republican primary for U.S. House seat

By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-backed-david-flippo-wins-nevada-republican-primary-for-u-s-house-seat Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump-backed David Flippo wins Nevada Republican primary for U.S. House seat Politics Jun 10, 2026 1:06 PM EDT LAS VEGAS (AP) — Retired Air Force Lt. Col. David Flippo has won the Republican primary in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District after securing President Donald Trump's endorsement in the closing weeks of the campaign. The race, which was called Wednesday, put Trump opposite Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and retiring Rep. Mark Amodei, who both backed former state Sen. James Settelmeyer. Amodei announced he was retiring after 15 years, opening up a competitive primary for Nevada's only Republican-held House seat. READ MORE: Defying Trump ended some Republicans' careers. It could help Susan Collins Democrats hoped for a Flippo victory, thinking it would make it easier for them to win over less partisan voters in November. They nominated the chief of staff to state Attorney General Aaron Ford, former majority floor leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Flippo thanked Nevadans on X late Tuesday night and said he will join President Donald Trump to "fight for the hard working men and women" in Nevada. "I will never let you down!" he said on X. LIVE RESULTS: Nevada midterm primaries The 2nd District race is one of several Nevada contests that will be watched closely this year. In southern Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Susie Lee will face Marty O'Donnell, a composer known for writing the soundtrack to the video game "Halo." Trump won the district in 2024 and backed O'Donnell, who thanked Trump in his victory statement. Tuesday's primary also set the general election contest for governor, with Ford defeating a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary and moving on to face Gov. Lombardo. The incumbent, a former Clark County sheriff, is running on his record of public safety and job creation while pledging to work on housing affordability in a second term. Ford is tying Lombardo to Trump in placing blame for soaring prices across the state and has pledged to lower costs for families. He would be the state's first Black governor if elected in November. READ MORE: GOP primary for U.S. House seat and Democratic governors race among Nevada's key contests In other races for statewide offices, Republican primaries for attorney general and secretary of state included several candidates who had pushed election conspiracy theories or been skeptical of election operations. Adriana Guzmán Fralick, who has expressed concerns about voting security, won the GOP nomination for attorney general and will face Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Nicole