GOP sees John Lee as best hope to pick up House seat in Nevada

Republicans smell blood in the water in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, and they’re pouring resources into the race in an effort to pick up a seat that’s been held by a Democrat for five of the past six election cycles.

John Lee, the former mayor of North Las Vegas who is trying unseat Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., was one of 26 U.S. House candidates across the county pegged last week by the National Republican Congressional Committee for its “Young Gun” program.

Lee, who turns 69 this month, is hardly a “young gun,” but the program isn’t about a Republican candidate’s age; it’s for nonincumbent Republican challengers in competitive districts across the country, the committee says. The program mentors and supports candidates by providing them with the tools to run successful, winning campaigns against their Democratic opponents.

The other Republican U.S. House challengers in Nevada — Mark Robertson in the 1st Congressional District, who is facing Rep. Dina Titus; and Drew Johnson, who is taking on Rep. Susie Lee — were not among the initial crop of candidates picked for the program.

Delanie Bomar, the NRCC spokesperson, in a statement announcing the program, said, “John Lee is in a prime position to flip Nevada’s 4th District red and help grow our House majority in November.”

The NRCC’s backing of Lee reinforces the GOP mindset that Horsford — who was first elected to the seat in 2012, then unseated before regaining the seat in 2018 — is vulnerable. The NRCC in March included the district as one of 37 “prime pick-up opportunities” for Republicans to add to their eight-member majority in the House.

“I think the direction the country’s going down and what I see might be happening isn’t going to be fruitful for Nevada and for our residents here,” Lee said.

Lee is facing an uphill battle, according to polling. The Cook Political Report labels the race as “likely Democrat” in favor of Horsford.

Horsford, a Las Vegas native who chairs the influential Congressional Black Caucus, is also receiving support in the race from his party.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included Horsford in its “Frontline” program providing resources to Democrats in Congress from competitive seats “to execute effective reelection campaigns.” Lee and Titus are also part of the initiative.

Horsford in 2014 lost the seat — which represents a massive 50,000-square mile district including Tonopah, Pahrump and North Las Vegas — to Cresent Hardy, a former assemblyman from Mesquite. Horsford regained the seat in the 2018 election and was reelected in 2020 and 2022.

Retaining or possibly adding seats in the 435-seat U.S. House is critical for Democrats as they fight against the extreme agenda of Republicans, said Miguel Ayala, a senior adviser for Horsford.

“Our message has been consistent in terms of what’s at stake in the race and, chief among them, is just the individual rights, and chance for individual success,” Ayala said. “I think that those are the kind of things that we see are at risk with a Republican majority in the House of a Republican presidency.”

Lee said both Democrats and Republicans can agree this is a “difficult time” for the country, which he feels is moving in the wrong direction. He wants to be a part of changing that, especially with an economy facing challenges related to inflation.

Lee’s campaign says he is an advocate of “reducing burdensome regulations for business owners” and fostering an environment that encourages entrepreneurship. It touts his work as the mayor in North Las Vegas, where he helped save the city from bankruptcy during the Great Recession in the early 2010s.

The campaign says Lee also wants to make housing affordable, provide educational freedom and strengthen public safety.

Horsford supported legislation bringing affordable health care and prescriptions to Nevadans, including opposing attempts to remove a cap of $35 monthly on insulin prices, his campaign said. He pushed to strengthen laws securing women’s reproductive rights, and voted to address climate change needs — replacing buses with zero-emission vehicles and investing in solar.

He’s long been an advocate of promoting trades and apprentice programs, including securing $6.9 million for the Westside Education and Training Center to provide 300 jobs.

“(The district) is one of the largest districts — 50,000 square miles — in the country,” Ayala said. “I think it really represents the opportunity that we can create for people.”

In 2022, Horsford beat Republican Sam Peters by about 11,000 votes out of 222,487 votes cast.

And it could be close again, says Kenneth Miller, an assistant professor of political science at UNLV who projects this will be the most competitive race among Nevada’s congressional contests because it features two accomplished politicians.

The competitive races in November won’t be limited to Horsford vs. Lee.

The contest for the White House between Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic nominee, is also projected to be close in Nevada, a key swing state.

The ballot also includes a U.S. Senate race between Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Republican challenger Sam Brown.

“I think a lot of people recognize that for Nevada, if the state is to be blue, if we’re to win our House races across the state, if it’s going to be a good turnout for Democrats — it’s through our district,” Ayala said.

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