Nevada’s longtime third party is crossing party lines this year, while its own congressional hopeful posts eye-catching poll numbers.
Something New From an Old Party
The Independent American Party of Nevada is doing something it has never done before. It is recommending candidates from other parties.
The IAP has been on the Nevada ballot since 1992. It is the state branch of the national Constitution Party. Normally, it backs only its own people. This year, that is changing.
“In an unprecedented move, the Executive Committee of the Independent American Party of Nevada voted on September 26, 2026, to consider recommending a limited number of candidates from other parties whose values align closely with those of our Party,” said Janine Hansen, the party’s state chairman.
On October 3, the committee picked its list.
Who Made the List
At the top is Gov. Joe Lombardo. The party also recommends Adriana Guzman Fralick for attorney general and Andy Matthews for controller.
For the state Senate, it backs George Harris in District 8 and Lisa Krasner in District 16. In the Assembly, the picks are Erica Neely in District 9, Trista Gomez in District 30, Jill Dickman in District 31, and Kelly Chapman in District 41. Dr. Jon Maxham gets the nod for Clark County Commission District G.
The IAP is still running its own slate, too. Hansen is running for lieutenant governor. Brad Barnhill is running for secretary of state. Lynn Chapman, Jon Kamerath and Russell Best are running for Congress in Districts 2, 3 and 4.
Hansen said the move is about good government.
“We want to cooperate with the many independent voters in Nevada, as well as with responsible citizens from all parties,” she said.
She added:
“Non-inclusion in this list does not imply any negative connotation.”
Lynn Chapman’s Surprising Numbers
Here is where it gets interesting. Look at the 2nd Congressional District race in Northern Nevada.
The seat was created after the 1982 election, and only Republicans have held it since. Rep. Mark Amodei is retiring. Republican David Flippo faces Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson. Lynn Chapman is on the ballot for the IAP.
A poll of 500 likely voters, taken from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, had Benitez-Thompson at 38 percent, Flippo at 37 percent, and Chapman at 14 percent.
Fourteen percent is a lot for a third-party candidate. In 2024, Chapman won 5 percent in the same district.
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Meet Lynn Chapman: The Conservative Alternative Some Republicans Are Now Considering for CD2
The poll was paid for by the Democratic-aligned Nevada Alliance and included a “none of the above” option that Nevada does not offer in congressional races, both important caveats.
But dismissing the results solely as a “Dem poll” misses an important internal check. The same survey has Lombardo leading Ford by 15 points in NV-02 and Republicans winning the generic congressional ballot by six. In other words, the poll still measures the district as strongly Republican even as Flippo trails by one.
That doesn’t prove the congressional result is right. But it suggests the result isn’t simply the product of a sample skewed toward Democrats.
What Critics Are Saying
Some Republicans worry that a strong third-party showing splits the right-leaning vote. In a close race, that could hand a Democrat a seat the GOP has held for decades.
Flippo’s campaign says it isn’t worried.
“David Flippo is going to win, with endorsements coming from the Police Unions, Chamber of Commerce, NRA, Builders Alliance, and Governor Lombardo all in the last few weeks,” general consultant Rory McShane told The Nevada Independent.
“All prediction markets have Flippo over 70% chance to win — for one simple reason, voters are looking into Teresa Benitez-Thompson’s record.”
The polling, however, shows a race that is considerably less settled.
What Comes Next
Early voting starts later this month, and Election Day is November 3.
Watch the 2nd District closely. If Chapman keeps pulling double digits, every vote there could swing the outcome. Watch the other small parties, too. If the IAP’s idea catches on, more of them may start working across party lines.
The IAP showed us that party labels are a starting point, not the finish line.
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.
