Turnout for Nevada's 2026 primary is low. Is it breaking any records?

Indy Elections takes you behind the headlines of Nevada politics, delivering scoops and smart analysis on the races that could reshape our lives. You can change your newsletter settings here.

In today's edition: What you need to know about early voting so far. Plus: Major ad spending in a Clark County Commission race, fat war chests in the Southern Nevada congressional districts, and the candidate the Assembly Democratic Caucus chair snubbed.

Primary day is a week away. Need I say more?

This newsletter is published twice a week through the primaries. Some editions are only available to email subscribers. 

We want to hear from you! Email newsletter editor Mini Racker at [email protected]. 

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Born to Run track early vote trends

The Boss, of course, has his early voting live blog, but we wanted to take a closer look at how turnout for next week's primary compares with past years.

Primary election turnout is always notoriously low, and that remains true this year, with total participation at about 8 percent as of Monday morning. However, turnout is actually slightly up in Clark and Washoe counties compared with 2022 and 2024.

It's particularly notable in Washoe County, where turnout is up about 30 percent from the same time two years ago. It's likely in part because of the open race for Congressional District 2, which is the district for about one-third of all Nevada votes cast so far, per data guru Paul Selberg.

Much of the turnout is through use of mail ballots. We'll be continuing to monitor the trends for the next week.

— Eric Neugeboren

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What we're reading and writing

What did retired Lt. Col. David Flippo (R) say on the trail the day before President Donald Trump endorsed him?

Who dropped out to endorse against Flippo?

Gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford (D) gave The Indy a front row seat to his campaign.

How will the next governor change education in Nevada?

Reid Machine Dems pitched plans for 2028. One progressive called them "shockingly divisive."

Dark money groups are spending big in Nevada's midterms. 

A microcosm of the Democratic Party in a seat Trump won. 

Henderson voters will decide in a week what they prefer: lower taxes or public parks?

Minors seeking abortions in Nevada no longer have to tell their parents.

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Indy Ad Watch: Mack Attack

• In the surprisingly competitive/ugly GOP primary for Clark County Commission District F, businessman Albert Mack has a new ad, "Protect Our Community," highlighting his endorsement by Sheriff Kevin McMahill. Mack says that Las Vegas' future "isn't looking as bright as our past," and nods to his grandfather, Jerome Mack, who helped fund the construction of the Strip.
  • Mack is so far outspending his opponent, Assm. Heidi Kasama (R-Las Vegas) — he's sunk more than $408,000 into ads ahead of next week's primary while Kasama has spent just over $84,000, according to the political ad tracking website AdImpact. 
• A Flippo ad that started airing last week in the 2nd Congressional District highlights both his personal story — "a father, a grandfather, married to his high school sweetheart Dawn for 42 years" — and his side in the culture war, with a promise to "stop men in girls' sports and girls' bathrooms" and support "a total ban on gender change operations performed on minors." 
• In the past few days, two Republicans in the 3rd Congressional District started airing new ads. Video game composer Marty O'Donnell (R) has one calling himself "an outsider" while highlighting his endorsements from Trump and Gov. Joe Lombardo (R). Former Ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter (R), meanwhile, labels himself "110% PRO TRUMP" and promises to eliminate taxes on Social Security. 

— Oona Milliken and Mini Racker

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Mini Series: The Money Game

✔️Will voters know about Trump's Flippo endorsement? — Only days after earning the most coveted endorsement in the Republican primary, Flippo got the support of another key GOP powerhouse: The Club For Growth. The group announced Monday that it will spend $400,000 on an ad highlighting Trump's endorsement of Flippo. According to AdImpact, more than half of that had already been reserved across satellite, cable, broadcast and radio by midday Monday. 

📲 Voicemail heard 'round the world — The division among Nevada Republicans in CD2 continues, now spurred on by Trump's official involvement. Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald recorded a voicemail for Northern Nevada voters over the weekend, referring to Flippo as "our Trump-endorsed candidate" and asking voters to "support David Flippo for Congress against these never-Trump billionaires" funding ads against him.

• Lombardo and outgoing Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) are two of the Republicans backing Flippo's chief opponent, former state Sen. James Settelmeyer (R-Minden), whose supporters have described the Trump-endorsed candidate as a carpetbagger. McDonald's voicemail attacks "ads lying about David Flippo."
• The state's Republican Party posted on X on Saturday calling Trump the "undisputed leader of our party" and telling voters it was "time to make a plan to vote" for Flippo. 
• McDonald did not immediately respond to The Indy's request for comment. The Lombardo campaign declined to comment.

💰Checking in on the other congressional contests — New fundraising reports are also in for Southern Nevada's congressional races. They cover April 1 through May 20.

• In the 1st Congressional District, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) raised $98,000 and spent $61,000, but still had $1.1 million in her war chest — her donors include Microsoft founder Bill Gates' son, Rory Gates.
  • State Sen. Carrie Buck (R-Henderson), who is considered the front-runner in the GOP primary after earning Trump's endorsement on April 14, continued her fundraising dominance, raising $284,000 and spending $259,000. She had $394,000 in the bank. 
• In the 3rd Congressional District, Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) raised $364,000, spent $123,000 and had $3.3 million on hand.
  • Her leading opponent, video game composer Marty O'Donnell (R), who earned Trump's endorsement the same day as Buck, raised $85,000, including $5,000 in interest, spent $633,000 and had $2.2 million on hand. 
• In the 4th Congressional District, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) raised $214,000, spent $239,000 and had $1.1 million.
  • Trump has not made an endorsement in the GOP primary, which includes small business owner Cody Whipple (R), who raised $129,000, including about $6,000 he gave himself, spent $212,000, and had $290,000 cash on hand, and lawyer Ronda Kennedy (R), who raised nothing, spent $83,000, and had $261,000 on hand.

🤑 Oprah for open races — This year, five Assembly races feature contested Democratic primaries with no incumbent. Unlike in some previous cycles, the Assembly Democratic Caucus isn't making endorsements in open seats. But that hasn't meant zero involvement from leadership: Assm. Elaine Marzola (D-Henderson), chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, has given money via her PAC to multiple candidates — even those running against each other for the same seat. 

• Marzola has made donations through her Nevada Brave PAC in three of the five contested Democratic primaries in open Assembly seats. In all three of these races, she's given money to more than one candidate.
• Those districts are Assembly District 9 (Ryan Hampton vs. Maria Teresa Hank), Assembly District 29 (Brad Combs vs. Ashley Delobel vs. Alex Pereszlenyi) and Assembly District 41 (Spencer Ridenour vs. Vinny Spotleson vs. Gabriela Wyett).
  • Pereszlenyi was the only candidate in these races who didn't receive any money from Marzola's PAC. Every other candidate received $1,000.
• Marzola wrote in a statement to The Indy that her PAC made donations to multiple candidates in the AD41 Democratic primary because "I know firsthand how difficult it is to make the decision to run for office," adding that doing so requires "a tremendous amount of time, sacrifice, and courage."

— Mini Racker and Kate Reynolds

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Looking Ahead

• Thursday, June 4 — The Nevada Supreme Court hears arguments in the lawsuit seeking to toss out the transgender student athlete ballot initiative
• Friday, June 5  — Early voting ends 

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A post that caught our eye: 

Pictures of Gov. Lombardo: 2. Pictures of President Trump: 0.

We'll see you next week. 

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