Andy Barron / Reno Gazette-Journal via AP
In this Aptil 17, 2017 file photo, Nevada Republican Congressman Mark Amodei answers a question during a town hall at the Reno Sparks Convention Center in Reno.
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | 8:29 p.m.
RENO — Northern Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei has said he is still weighing whether to run for governor and did not have a timeline for when he might make a decision.
The six-term Republican congressman said he was not in a rush to determine if he would run against Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022 and that he was not concerned about two Republicans who have already launched campaigns in the race, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Monday.
“I haven’t met the candidate yet who scared everybody away by signing up early,” Amodei told the Gazette-Journal. “But in a statewide Republican primary, I really like the chances of a guy who’s won (Congressional District 2), which is where most of the state’s Republican votes come from.”
Amodei, 62, originally announced he was considering a bid for governor in December but has yet to officially announce a campaign. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo and North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, both Republicans, have already joined the race.
Amodei is known as a moderate Republican who didn't always agree with former President Donald Trump. But Amodei has recently taken efforts to appeal to pro-Trump voters, including a vote to oust U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership position after she criticized the former president.
Last week, he voted against an effort to investigate the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, explaining that it was an “absolute tragedy” but that he was tired of Congress' habit of appointing special panels that he said could interfere with existing investigations.
