Another Republican Steps Up
Think your local city council is tough? Try running for Congress in Nevada’s most competitive district. Tera Anderson, a Las Vegas business leader who previously ran for mayor, launched her congressional campaign earlier this year. Since announcing her bid in the spring, she’s been building support in her race to challenge Democrat Susie Lee in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.
Anderson joins a growing list of Republicans hoping to unseat Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, including Dr. Aury Nagy and Marty O’Donnell. The primary election is set for June 9, 2026.
Nevadans deserve representation that gets results, not more empty promises. I’m taking our state’s grit and determination to Washington to cut waste, grow our economy, and secure our future. Watch my first campaign video and join me at https://t.co/4si8yQemjB pic.twitter.com/7Pv0QD6dzF
— Tera Anderson (@TeraAndersonNV) May 29, 2025
Why This Race Matters So Much
For conservatives who believe in smaller government, this race is huge. Nevada’s 3rd District has been a pain point for Republicans. For four straight election cycles, Republicans have come up empty in the three Las Vegas-area House seats. This district is different though. Lee is one of 13 House Democrats who won in districts carried by Trump in 2024, making her a target for House Republicans.
Here’s what makes this exciting for limited government folks. The district voted for Trump but still elected Lee. That tells us voters here might be ready for someone who actually wants to shrink Washington instead of growing it.
Who Is Tera Anderson?
Anderson isn’t your typical politician. With experience working in industrial commercial development, Anderson says she has the experience to improve housing accessibility and manage growth in Nevada. She works as the vice president and development asset manager for IRG Realty Advisors and has served as president of the City of Las Vegas Neighborhood Association.
Her background matters for conservatives. She’s spent 20 years in private business, not government. She understands how regulations strangle growth.
“We’ve experienced exponential growth, and I think now more than ever, we have to be very deliberate and responsible about what that growth looks like because we do have infrastructure constraints, including water (and) land,” Anderson said.
On her campaign website, she promises to fight for:
“eliminating federal waste and the proper use of our tax dollars.”
She also talks tough on immigration, saying:
“A nation without secure borders is a nation without security.”
The Crowded Republican Field
Anderson faces a tough primary battle. Lee has already drawn six Republican challengers.
The best-funded one is Marty O’Donnell, the video game composer who ran in 2022 and finished fourth in the primary. This time around, O’Donnell announced about a year earlier in the cycle than last time and has already put $1 million of his own money into the race.
O’Donnell brings name recognition from creating music for games like Halo. He said his priorities in Congress would be to secure the border, cut spending and reduce the size of the federal government. He’s even said he’ll drop out if Trump doesn’t endorse him.
Other candidates for Congressional District 3 include: Christopher Brandlin, a lawyer and former bodybuilder in the mold of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. There’s also Aury Nagy, a Las Vegas neurosurgeon and Steven London, a Bitcoin supporter and former controller at the Better Business Bureau.
What Critics Are Saying
Democrats aren’t worried yet. Lee has a huge money advantage with over $2 million in her campaign fund. Despite the attention and resources from Republicans, Lee has won three straight elections, including a victory by 4 percentage points in 2022.
The Democratic argument is simple: why change what’s working? They point to Lee’s experience and her ability to win in a purple district. They also note that The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the House Republican-connected super PAC, did not spend against Lee in 2024 after dropping millions of dollars into her race in 2022.
Why The Map Makes This Hard
Here’s the tough truth for Republicans. Their biggest obstacle may be the map that Democrats in the Legislature drew in 2021, moving voters from the formerly safe Congressional District 1 into Districts 3 and 4 to shore up Rep. Susie Lee and Rep. Steven Horsford’s (D-NV) seats.
Democrats redrew the lines to make this district harder for Republicans to win. But there’s hope. That redistricting made a big difference in 2024 for Lee, who was able to hang onto her seat even though President Donald Trump won her district. If Trump won the district, a good Republican candidate should be able to win too.
What Happens Next
The 2026 primary election will be held June 9, 2026. That gives Anderson and her rivals about 16 months to make their case to Republican voters.
For conservatives who want smaller government, this primary will be about finding the candidate who can actually win in November. Money matters, but so does having a clear message about cutting Washington down to size.
Anderson’s business background and neighborhood association work could appeal to voters tired of career politicians. But she’ll need to prove she can raise money and build a campaign organization to compete with well-funded rivals like O’Donnell.
What Conservatives Should Do
First, pay attention to this race. Nevada’s 3rd District could be the difference between Republicans controlling the House or not. Second, look at each candidate’s record on limiting government. Talk is cheap in politics. Who has actually fought against big government in their real job?
Third, support the eventual nominee with time and money. All three Nevada Democrats are on the National Republican Campaign Committee’s (NRCC) target list for 2026, but both Democrats and Republicans know that if there’s one that’s going to flip, it will be Lee’s.
The race is just getting started, but it’s already shaping up to be one of the most important House contests in the country for anyone who believes Washington needs to be smaller, not bigger.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
