Nevada Gears Up For High-Stakes Showdown Between Incumbent Susie Lee (D) And  Drew Johnson (R)

Incumbent Rep. Susie Lee (D) and Drew Johnson (R) are running in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District election on November 5, 2024.

The race is receiving attention from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee(DCCC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). The DCCC named Lee one of its frontline candidates. According to the DCCC’s website, the Frontline program “provides Democratic Members of Congress from competitive seats the resources to execute effective reelection campaigns.” The NRCC included the district as a target district, a Democratically-held district the committee hopes to win in November.

According to Nevada Current’s Michael Lyle, “Despite Trump winning the 3rd Congressional District in 2016, the Congressional seat has been held by Democrats for four consecutive terms.” Additionally, Lyle wrote that this is “potentially the most competitive race in Nevada.”

In November 2021, then-Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed a new congressional map into law. According to The Nevada Independent’s Gabby Birenbaum, “By shifting some suburban areas with more independent and Republican voters into Titus’ safely Democratic district, Democrats gambled that they could shore up Lee’s and Horsford’s margins while still protecting Titus.”

Lee was first elected to represent the 3rd Congressional District in 2018 after she defeated Danny Tarkanian (R) 51.9% to 42.8%. She previously ran in 2016 to represent Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. In the 2016 Democratic primary, Lee came in third place with 20.9% of the vote in a field of eight candidates. Her professional experience includes working as the director of After-School All-Stars and as president of Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS).

Lee’s campaign website said that she is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress: “From combating the drought to bringing supply chains back to America to lower costs to ensuring our veterans get the benefits they deserve, Susie Lee has effectively worked with both parties and delivered for Nevadans.”

Johnson is a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research. He was also the founder and director of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), now called the Beacon Center of Tennessee. Additionally, Johnson worked at the National Taxpayers Union, the American Enterprise Institute, and The Washington Times. In 2022, Johnson ran for the Clark County Commission to represent District F. Incumbent Justin C. Jones (D) defeated him by 50.2% to 49.8%.

Johnson said he has a better chance at defeating Lee because his ideology aligns more with the district than Lee’s previous Republican opponents: “Somebody running as a really hard-right person against Susie Lee doesn’t work. People understand that this district is kind of more small-l libertarian than anything, and I’m pretty reflective of that vibe or ideology that the district has. I think I’m a better fit than the people who have run against her in the past.”

Based on Q2 2024 reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Lee raised $4.2 million and spent $1.2 million, and Johnson raised $0.5 million and spent $0.4 million. 

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