Jason Henry / The New York Times
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) is shown outside his office in Reno on Oct. 3, 2019.
Published Monday, Nov. 1, 2021 | 8:38 a.m.
Updated Monday, Nov. 1, 2021 | 3:32 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei announced today that he will not be joining the crowded GOP field seeking the Nevada governor’s office in 2022 and will instead seek reelection in the 2nd Congressional District.
Amodei was considering entering the gubernatorial race but decided to put off making a decision until the fall so he could see more pieces of the puzzle, he said.
“It didn’t pass the gut test for me,” Amodei said. “You were hired to do a job, and you have to finish it.”
“There’s a part of me that would love to take a bat out of the rack and walk up to the plate and swing for the fences,” Amodei said. But that would require a lot of full-time, hands-on strategizing full of pancake breakfasts and fundraisers, he said.
He joked that he wanted to be the one guy not running for governor because seemingly everyone else is in the hunt.
Others seeking the GOP nomination to unseat Democratic incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak include Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee and lawyer and boxer Joey Gilbert.
More candidates could be coming. The deadline to file is March 18, with the primary election June 14.
Amodei the only Republican member of Nevada’s congressional delegation.
“Do I think my seat would be filled by another Republican? I do. But it’s a tough time to be a rookie,” said Amodei, who was first elected in 2011 and serves on the House Appropriations Committee.
“You’ve built the relationships,” Amodei said, referring to his tenure in Congress. “I don’t ask often, but when I ask, they know this is important to me, Nevada.”
Amodei said he would continue to focus on federal land management issues, helping the Air Force and Navy expand their training ranges in Nevada.
He said he would also prioritize border issues and things that affect Nevada workers.
