President Trump came to Las Vegas last Thursday. He held a roundtable at the AC Hotel in Symphony Park to celebrate his No Tax on Tips policy.
It was a big deal. About 200 people packed the room, and Trump told the crowd that Las Vegas is home to the largest concentration of tipped workers anywhere in the country. Nevada Republicans showed up in force. So did at least one Congressional candidate.
David Flippo, who is running in the 2nd Congressional District, was in the room.
Funny thing about that.
Amodei Called It
Rep. Mark Amodei, who currently holds the CD2 seat, had already telegraphed this one.
Amodei said this about Trump’s Vegas visit:
“Maybe some of the primary candidates in CD2 from Vegas will go down there and see if they can sneak onstage with him or something.”
Ten out of ten. Prediction confirmed.
Flippo showed up right on cue. To be fair, No Tax on Tips is a real policy win, and anyone is welcome to attend.
But, here is the thing: CD2 is not Las Vegas. CD2 is Elko. It is Winnemucca. It is Carson City.
It is the ranchers, miners, and small business owners who make up the backbone of rural Northern Nevada. A candidate who wants to represent those people probably ought to be spending his weekends up there. Not mingling in a Vegas hotel ballroom hoping to get camera time with the President.
Meanwhile, Up North
While Flippo was working the Vegas crowd, James Settelmeyer was in Storey County. Garrett Tamagni posted on social media:
“Big turnout at the Lockwood community BBQ today in Storey County. Northern Nevada is ready to show up big for @JoeLombardoNV @StavrosAnthony and @SettelmeyerNV.”
Big turnout at the Lockwood community BBQ today in Storey County. Northern Nevada is ready to show up big for @JoeLombardoNV @StavrosAnthony and @SettelmeyerNV pic.twitter.com/wqULZD7lED
— Garrett Tamagni (@garrett_tt_) April 20, 2026
That is what a CD2 campaign looks like. You show up. You eat barbecue with the neighbors. You earn it.
Settelmeyer is a former state senator who represented Northern Nevada for years. Then he led the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He knows these communities. He is not a newcomer hunting for a photo op.
Where Does Dave Live?
It gets worse. While Flippo was in Las Vegas, a CD2 candidate forum in Fallon was happening without him.
He sent a consultant to speak on his behalf.
Someone in the crowd asked the consultant a simple question: where does the candidate live? The answer: “Reno.”
Jesse Watts — a former Eureka County Sheriff also running in CD2 — was not buying it. He called it out directly on social media:
“Woodrow had to speak for Flippo tonight because Flippo’s too busy at home in Vegas trying to get with @realDonaldTrump… the politicians are more important than the people of the district you’re running for. ‘Where does Dave live?’ ‘Reno.’ He LIVES in Las Vegas. He’s renting in Reno.”
Woodrow had to speak for Flippo tonight because Flippo’s too busy at home in Vegas trying to get with @realDonaldTrump… the politicians are more important than the people of the district you’re running for.
“Where does Dave live?” “Reno”
He LIVES in Las Vegas. He’s renting in… pic.twitter.com/SR8js4BFZl
— Jesse Watts for Nevada (@sheriffwatts) April 17, 2026
The California Plates
Here is one more detail worth noting.
Flippo was recently photographed tying a campaign sign into the bed of a truck with California license plates.
Maybe there is an innocent explanation. People borrow trucks. Rentals happen.
But, it’s not the only vehicle with CA plates associated with the Flippo campaign, either.
When you are asking Northern Nevada voters to send you to Congress, being photographed with California plates on your vehicle is not a great look.
CD2 voters have watched California politics spill across the border for years. They did not move to Nevada or stay in Nevada to import more of it.
Follow the Money
Then there is the fundraising. And this is where things get really interesting.
Flippo’s campaign reported raising $785,000. Sounds impressive. Until you find out that $760,000 of that was loans he made to himself.
Strip that out and his actual outside fundraising comes to roughly $25,000 — and a closer look at the FEC filing shows net contributions of about $9,000 over a three-month period.
Oh, and a big chunk of that three-month period? He was running in CD4 — a completely different district — before switching races after Amodei announced his retirement.
Meanwhile Settelmeyer raised $104,000 in real contributions since announcing his CD2 campaign on March 6. That is money from actual donors who believe in him, not loans from his own bank account.
But it is not just the amount. It is where the money came from. According to public records reviewed by Nevada News & Views, of the 56 contribution entries on Flippo’s filing, only 3 came from inside CD2. That is 5 percent.
Meanwhile, 34 entries — 61 percent — came from out of state.
So to review: Flippo allegedly lives in Las Vegas and is renting in Reno. He switched from CD4 to CD2 after the seat opened up. He skipped a CD2 candidate forum to attend a Trump event in Vegas. There are California plates on multiple vehicles associated with his campaign. And 61 percent of his donors are not even from Nevada, let alone from the district he wants to represent.
At some point, the voters of CD2 have to ask a simple question. Is this candidate running for them — or running for himself?
Why This Matters
Conservatives believe in authentic representation. They believe your congressman should know your county, your industry, your water rights fights, and your concerns about federal land.
CD2 is one of the most rural and geographically vast districts in the country. Whoever wins that seat in 2026 needs to be a real Nevadan who understands rural Nevada — not someone who lives in Las Vegas, rents a place in Reno, switches districts when a better opportunity comes along, and funds his campaign mostly with his own money and out-of-state donors.
The primary is June 9. Voters across Northern Nevada will have a clear choice.
What You Can Do
Pay attention to where these candidates are spending their time between now and June. Follow their schedules.
Show up to local events and see who else bothers to show up. And take a look at the campaign finance filings yourself — they are public record, and they tell you a lot about who a candidate is really working for.
The candidate who shows up in rural Nevada consistently before the primary is probably the one who will show up for you after it.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
