Susie Lee wins reelection to Nevada House seat

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) is projected to win reelection to a fifth term Tuesday, defeating Republican Marty O’Donnell in the closely watched race, adding to Democrats’ sweeping Election Day victories , according to Decision Desk HQ .

The race in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District was called early Wednesday morning, with Lee leading O’Donnell nearly 60 percent to 38.6 percent and nearly all ballots counted.

Lee’s victory keeps the district in Democrats hands, two years after she narrowly won reelection despite President Trump winning the district by less than 1 percentage point in 2024.

The region, which encompasses parts of Las Vegas and southern Clark County, had been a perennial Republican target. Lee won her previous race with roughly 51.4 percent of the vote.

The Democrat, who has served in Congress since 2019, made affordability a centerpiece of her campaign, emphasizing the rising costs of housing and healthcare . She also touted her bipartisan work on water conservation and protecting Nevada’s economy.

She also held a significant fundraising advantage heading into Election Day, bringing in $5.6 million to her campaign, including $1.2 million during the third quarter, according to the filings.

Republicans appeared to pull back from the contest in the final stretch. Safety and Affordability PAC, a group backed by the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc., canceled $1 million in planned television advertising for O’Donnell after initially reserving $3 million, the Nevada Independent reported in October.

The move came as the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the race in Democrats’ favor, suggesting the seat had become increasingly difficult for Republicans to flip.

O’Donnell, a former video game composer best known for his work on the “Halo” and “Destiny” franchises, secured the Republican nomination in June with Trump’s endorsement. He campaigned on tightening border security and protecting American jobs amid the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.