(The Center Square) - Nevada's four U.S. House representatives face competitive elections this year with the national party balance in question.
According to the Cook Political Report, which rates how competitive elections are, none of Nevada’s four congressional seats are safe for either party this year. In a year where the national Democratic Party sees a chance to flip the Congress and gain control, national attention has turned to the Silver State.
In the 1st District race, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, faces a challenge by state Sen. Carrie Buck, R-Henderson, who has managed to outraise the veteran lawmaker. Titus has represented the district for 13 years. Buck has been a state senator for six years. The district contains parts of the Las Vegas area, including the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area outside of the city; the nearby city of Henderson; Boulder City and rural areas of Clark County
Elsewhere in the state, two Democratic incumbents battle serious challengers, and a traditionally deep red district sees an unlikely competitive election amid an open seat.
According to an Emerson College Polling/KLAS TV survey of 680 likely voters from Sept. 5-8, 43% of Nevadans said the economy was their top issue this year, followed by housing affordability (15%) and healthcare (10%).
“How much things cost are definitely at the forefront of this election,” Buck told The Center Square. She added that inflation and energy costs were her main concerns. “We rely for about 80% of our fuel on California, and unfortunately, they've absolutely had a war on fossil fuels for some time.”
Nevada gets an estimated 86% of its transportation fuel – such as gas – from California refineries. With California's $6.24 average gallon well above the current national average of $4.33, the argument against reliance on California has prevailed among Nevada Republicans. Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, issued an executive order in 2023 to create greater energy independence in Nevada. Earlier this year he wrote a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, asking for the state to decrease its gas regulations.
Titus was criticized by Buck for her 1997 vote to increase fuel taxes in Nevada. Titus has also focused on the price of fuel in her campaign.
“The single biggest issues facing Nevadans right now are the price of gas and inflation,” Titus wrote in an email in June to The Center Square. “Families are having to cope with having to spend another $100 or more on gas monthly while spending more for groceries and other goods because of both the Trump tariffs and his war of choice in the Middle East.”
The U.S.-Israeli-conflict with Iran has cost the average American household $864.85 since it began on Feb. 28, according to the Institution on Taxation and Economic policy. Titus has previously said she does not support the conflict with Iran without a “compelling case" made to Congress.
The Titus campaign told The Center Square it was unable to schedule an interview with Titus in time for this story.
Buck said she supported the U.S. strikes on Iran, adding that she trusted the Trump administration's comments about the Iranian government’s nuclear weapons threat.
But she also said there needs to be congressional oversight of the conflict. “It's not going fast enough for my liking. It's not like Venezuela, right? Where we just handled business, in and out and done.”
Closer to home, data centers have become a central point of the election as Nevada faces rising energy prices from increased demand for power and concerns of water shortages.
Titus introduced legislation last month to make it more difficult for data centers to be built on public land without greater public involvement.
“I do not favor data centers that tax our limited water supplies and drive up the cost of energy for Nevada consumers because of the need to generate more power,” Titus previously told The Center Square. “These centers create jobs in the short-term but have no long-term value in terms of employing Nevadans.”
Buck sees the issue differently.
“When it comes to data centers, it's not like a one-size fits all,” the state senator told The Center Square.
Communities should be involved with the industry's growth to mitigate concerns in areas such as water, coolants and energy, Buck said. "Especially here in the Nevada desert, you definitely need to keep the place cool and functioning."
Both Buck and Titus campaigns received their largest donations during the most recent October quarter financial report. Buck remained out front of her incumbent opponent despite the odds, with $2.6 million in total receipts to Titus’ $2 million. Buck received $638,000 from the most recent period, while Titus received $439,000.
The Center Square's review of the contributions, as listed by the Federal Election Commission, shows no single large donation from a special interest group to either campaign.
Nearby, Nevada’s 3rd Congressional district, which makes up parts of Las Vegas and rural Clark County, sees U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Las Vegas, up against challenger Marty O’Donnell, a Republican who has never held public office, but is best known as a video game music composer with work on Halo and Destin
Up in Northern Nevada, the largely rural 2nd Congressional District is an open seat with Republican incumbent Mark Amodei choosing to step down. While the district has historically heavily favored Republican candidates, state Assemblymember Teresa Benitez-Thompson, D-Reno, is challenging David Flippo, a Republican who's an Air Force veteran. Flippo has never held public office.
Elsewhere, Nevada’s 4th Congressional District encompasses most of rural Southern Nevada, with U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, facing Cody Whipple, a Republican rancher who has never held public office.