(Hugh Jackson) – Donald Trump appointed Jeff Gunter ambassador to Iceland in 2018, and Gunter served in the post until 2021. Since then, Trump twice has had the opportunity to endorse Gunter for a seat in the U.S Congress. Both times, Trump endorsed somebody else.
Gunter, who lost the Republican U.S. Senate primary to Trump-endorsed candidate Sam Brown in 2024, is one of four Republicans running in the primary for Nevada’s third congressional district.
Trump last month endorsed Marty O’Donnell in the CD3 primary. O’Donnell has run in the district before. He had been endorsed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in 2024 (Trump did not endorse in the primary), but O’Donnell came in third, and the Republican nominee, Drew Johnson, went on to lose to Democratic incumbent Susie Lee in the 2024 general election. (This year Johnson is running for state treasurer).
Tera Anderson, who finished fourth in the race for Las Vegas mayor in 2024, has also filed in the CD3 Republican primary, as has Las Vegas neurosurgeon Aury Nagy.
O’Donnell, who has been endorsed by Lombardo again this year as well as by Trump, wrote well-known advertising jingles (“We’re the Flintstones kids,” “Mr. Clean”) before becoming a go-to composer for video games, including the Halo series.
As of the end of March, O’Donnell’s campaign was predominantly self-funded, with a loan from the candidate accounting for $3 million of the campaign’s reported $3.2 million total raised. The campaign reported $2.7 million in cash on hand.
Similarly, $1.02 million of Nagy’s $1.07 million reported in the first quarter was loaned to the campaign by the candidate. The campaign reported $746,000 cash on hand.
Gunter’s campaign had also been nearly entirely self-funded as of the end of the first quarter, with a $750,000 loan from the candidate. But the campaign also paid back the loan prior to the end of the quarter, leaving the campaign with $30,000 cash on hand.
Anderson’’s campaign reported raising $286,000 as of March 31, $186,000 from individuals and $100,000 in a loan from the candidate.
According to tracking by Ballotpedia, for most years going back to 2018, Trump-endorsed candidates win their Republican primaries more than 90% of the time.
“We both support President Trump,” Anderson said via email when asked why voters should support her since O’Donnell has Trump’s endorsement.
“What sets me apart is that I’m a Nevadan, and I’ve already received some significant endorsements from Pro-Trump Nevadans,” Anderson said.
Prominent Nevadan Republicans endorsing Anderson include former congressman Crescent Hardy, former Gov. Bob List, and former Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury.
“I am a second-generation Nevadan. I grew up here and I’ve worked in Nevada’s economy for two decades. Nevadans welcome newcomers, but we don’t need to import them to speak for us in Congress,” Anderson said.
O’Donnell moved to Nevada in 2021.
Asked what specific positions Anderson holds that distinguish her from the Trump-endorsed candidate, she said she could find out if O’Donnell would agree to a debate.
KLAS has invited the candidates to debate, Anderson said, adding she has accepted, but O’Donnell hasn’t.
O’Donnell’s campaign website, in a section addressing the potential impacts of AI, says that “we must include additional investments, safeguards, and protections for American workers.”
Elsewhere on the website O’Donnell says “I’m tired of seeing our leaders influenced by special interests and big corporations.”
O’Donnell’s campaign did not respond to requests for more information, including a request for elaboration on whether safeguards against AI will include a universal basic income, as some AI executives have proposed, or whether Trump’s policies with respect to energy, tech, and other industries reflect intensified special interest and corporate influence.
Campaigns for Gunter and Nagy likewise did not respond to requests for further information.
CD3 was drawn after the 2000 Census as an ostensible swing district, although Republicans won six of the first seven times the seat was on the ballot. The tide turned, however, and the last time a Republican won the district was in 2014.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was originally published via NevadaCurrent.com on 5/7/2026.
