Republican video game composer Marty O’Donnell has announced another campaign for Nevada’s Congressional District 3 seat — with the caveat that he’ll drop out if he does not receive President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

O’Donnell ran in the crowded Republican primary for Congressional District 3 seat in 2024 but came in fourth with 21 percent of the vote. Tax analyst Drew Johnson ultimately won the primary, but lost to Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) in the general election by 2.8 percentage points — even as Trump narrowly won the district.  

O’Donnell, who moved to Las Vegas in 2021, had the endorsement of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and the funding to mount a campaign, loaning himself $500,000 during the primary. His entry announcement comes much earlier this cycle — he didn’t enter the race until March 2024 — giving him a longer window to campaign than the three months he had last time.

O'Donnell is pouring $1 million of his own money into the race, his campaign said Tuesday.

In a Monday statement, O’Donnell said his priorities in Congress would be to secure the border, cut spending and reduce the size of the federal government. He said Trump should get to “pick his team” for the 2026 midterms — and thus, committed to exiting the race if Trump endorses another candidate.

“We cannot waste the money or the time allowing intra-party squabbling to sidetrack us; we have a country to save,” O’Donnell said. “If I am not privileged to receive the President’s endorsement, I will bow out of the race and allow his endorsed candidate to focus their resources on defeating Susie Lee.”

Trump did not endorse in the district’s GOP primary in 2024.

Read More: Meet Marty: Halo composer backed by Lombardo would be among wealthiest House members

Thus far, two Republican candidates have filed to run in Lee’s district — attorney Christopher Brandlin and Lucena Parker. Johnson has not said whether he plans to run again or not, but has continued to post criticism of Lee on X since the election and wrote, “I think Susie would retire if I got in the race.”

In a statement to The Nevada Independent, Johnson said he's considering several options, but that "running again for Congress in the Third District remains a possibility."

Lee, who beat Johnson last year, has already filed to run, and confirmed through a spokesperson that she plans to run for re-election.

Congressional District 3, which includes western Las Vegas and the southernmost parts of Clark County, has long been the swingiest district in Nevada. Lee has represented it since first winning the district in 2018. 

The 2024 election cycle was her closest race yet, and the first time in decades that the district has voted for the Republican presidential candidate (under its current boundaries, which were redrawn after the 2020 census to shore up Democratic advantage in the district). Trump won Congressional District 3 by 1 percentage point; in 2020, using its current boundaries, President Joe Biden won it by 7 percentage points, while Lee held it by 3 percentage points.

In 2016, like 2024, former congresswoman and now-Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) won the district by 1.2 percentage points despite Trump beating Hillary Clinton by 1 percentage point. Under the district’s current boundaries, Clinton would have won it by 7 percentage points.

The district, which last elected a Republican in 2014, has been something of a white whale for House Republicans. Because it shares the often pricey media market with Districts 1 and 4 in Las Vegas, it can be difficult for Republicans to target spending in the district. 

In addition, the 2021 redistricting by the Democrat-controlled Legislature intentionally shored up Lee’s district by moving voters in Henderson and Boulder City, which are typically more conservative, into Congressional District 1. The redistricting worked exactly as intended — an Indy analysis showed that Congressional District 3 swung nearly 5 percentage points toward Democrats in 2024 compared with the old district boundary.

Lee is one of 13 House Democrats who won in districts carried by Trump in 2024, making her a target for House Republicans. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the House Republican-connected super PAC, did not spend against Lee in 2024 after dropping millions of dollars into her race in 2022, well aware of the impact of the Democratic redistricting.

This story was updated at 7 a.m. on 4/1/2025 to add comment from Drew Johnson and include Marty O'Donnell's financial commitment to the race.