President Donald Trump made it official Tuesday. He’s throwing his full support behind two Nevada Republicans running in key congressional races — Carrie Buck in the 1st Congressional District and Marty O’Donnell in the 3rd Congressional District.
Both endorsements landed on Truth Social just after noon. If you follow Nevada politics, this is a big deal. And it came out of nowhere.
Who Are These Candidates?
Carrie Buck is running in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District, which covers inner Las Vegas and its southeastern suburbs. She’s a former school principal and civic leader who went on to serve in the Nevada State Senate.
Trump called her a “Highly Respected State Senator” and said she has “dedicated her life to serving her Community.”
Marty O’Donnell is running in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers the western Las Vegas suburbs — think Summerlin, Spring Valley, and Sandy Valley. He’s the composer behind the iconic music from the Halo video game franchise, and he’s been running a self-funded campaign. O’Donnell already had the endorsement of Governor Joe Lombardo. Now he has Trump’s too.
And according to sources close to O’Donnell, the endorsement wasn’t just a Truth Social post. Sources tell NN&V that President Trump called Marty personally before making it public.
Why Trump’s Endorsement Matters
Think of a Trump endorsement like a letter of recommendation from the most popular person in the room. In a Republican primary, it can be the difference between winning big and going home early.
Trump has endorsed over 200 candidates nationally heading into the 2026 cycle. His track record in primaries is strong. When he speaks, Republican voters listen.
For Buck and O’Donnell, this is rocket fuel. Fundraising gets easier. Volunteers show up. And in Nevada’s closed primary system — where only registered Republicans vote in the GOP primary — a Trump stamp of approval carries serious weight.
What Trump Said About Their Opponents
Trump didn’t hold back when describing the two Democratic incumbents.
On Dina Titus, who has held Nevada’s 1st District since 2013, Trump wrote that she:
“tried to raise Taxes by over $4 Trillion Dollars, and voted against all of our Tax Cuts, notably NO TAX ON TIPS for the Working Men and Women of Nevada.”
He also accused her of supporting “cashless bail that let repeat Violent Criminals roam free” and voting “AGAINST Voter I.D.”
On Susie Lee in the 3rd District, Trump wrote that she:
“voted against the Biggest Tax Cut in History (including NO TAX ON TIPS!), and fought ferociously to knock out Rural Healthcare.”
Both women are among the small group of House Democrats defending seats that Trump carried in 2024. Lee’s district went for Trump by about one point in November. That makes her one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the entire country heading into 2026.
What About CD2 — and CD4?
Nevada Republicans are now asking the obvious question. If Trump just endorsed in CD1 and CD3, will he weigh in on the wide-open CD2 race to replace the retiring Amodei?
Just last week, frontrunner James Settelmeyer — who has the backing of both Lombardo and Amodei — said on Nevada Newsmakers that Trump had indicated he was staying out of CD2.
Settelmeyer said:
“He is staying out of it. So we’ll see. Who knows?”
And then there’s CD4, where Democrats’ Steven Horsford is defending a seat that also sits in Trump country. Will the President weigh in there too?
Why This Matters to Conservatives
Nevada’s congressional delegation is currently all Democrats except for the lone Republican seat up north being vacated by Amodei. If Buck and O’Donnell win in November, that would be a dramatic shift — potentially adding two new conservative votes in the House on issues like border security, tax cuts, the Second Amendment, and school choice.
The House majority is slim. Every seat counts. CD3 in particular has been a white whale for Nevada Republicans. It has not sent a Republican to Congress since 2014.
What Conservatives Should Do Now
If you want to see Nevada send two more conservatives to Washington, here’s how you help. Register to vote as a Republican before the June 9 primary deadline. Show up in June. Volunteer. Donate. Tell your neighbors.
The June primary is the first hurdle. But Tuesday, with two Trump endorsements dropping in Nevada on the same afternoon, the 2026 battle for the Silver State just got a whole lot more interesting.
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.
