James Settelmeyer is Mr. Rural Nevada. Is he MAGA enough to win a GOP House primary?

MINDEN — Driving down U.S. Route 395 to James Settelmeyer's family ranch, you might never realize he's running in a 25-way race for the region's first open congressional seat in 15 years. 

Huge signs along the highway simply say he is the "Republican for Congress," backed by the sitting congressman and the GOP governor. You might miss the smaller "Settelweg" street sign that marks the family ranch, and the long dusty driveway leading to yellow pasture framed by the Sierras. 

For more than a century, the Settelmeyer family has bounced between two properties 10 miles apart in Douglas County. He starts and ends his days with an hour of farmwork. He takes meetings with lobbyists while driving a hay squeeze.

On the ranch, the family has seen a bobcat through the Ring doorbell and freed an old bear trapped in a dumpster. Campaign signs are laid against a barn wall. Settelmeyer converses easily about the temperaments of Simmental and Chianina cattle, the Agriculture Department's brand book, the pros and cons of flood irrigation compared to sprinklers.

"I started working for my dad when I was 6," he said. "I've been helping brand since I was 8." 

Settelmeyer was 5 feet 2 inches, 110 pounds when he graduated high school.

"Pushing the calves and stuff, they'd kick and I'd get waylaid," he said. "But as you get more proficient, you get different jobs."

He gave the cattle earmarks — not pork in a bill, but actual notches on the cow's ears marking them as part of the 300 motherhead the Settelmeyers own. 

"That requires a bit of art, skill and dexterity," he said. "I picked it up because I'm a little bit different. I'm not left-handed or right-handed. I'm task-specific." 

Settelmeyer will have to be task-specific in his race for Congress. In the past, Republicans have easily won the district, but given a national environment expected to heavily favor Democrats, the other party sees 2026 as its best chance to flip it. 

But first is the primary, where his biggest competition is retired Lt. Col. David Flippo (R). Flippo has the backing of Turning Point USA and other big MAGA names. He and his allies have hammered Settelmeyer relentlessly, accusing him of not being conservative enough. (The Nevada Independent has sought an interview with Flippo about the race.)

This primary for the state's 2nd Congressional District — which spans Reno and all of the northern "cow counties" — will test whether today's Nevada Republicans prefer a representative more in the vein of Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), with deep roots and a legislative history, or a flame-throwing outsider running on his MAGA spirit.

"We're doing very good," he said of some polling, which he did not disclose. "But unfortunately, it is going to be more of a two-person race right now."

Family tradition

Settelmeyer is leaning heavily on his deep ties in the district — especially considering his top opponent was running in Las Vegas six months ago. His roots go back to his great grandfather.

"He came here from Germany, and in 1880, worked for that ranch right over there," he said, pointing toward the mountains, their summits still clinging to snow in late April.

Arnold August Settelmeyer owned the state's 189th car; his great grandson keeps a framed medallion and a page logging it in his house. Settelmeyer's grandfather was born on the ranch, in the same room where he would wake up the day he died. He himself grew up working there alongside his dad.

On the ranch, "you see how much politics gets involved in life," Settelmeyer said. "First thing I remember, political, was when I was like 12, and the county commissioners decided to tell my father that we couldn't have the gravel pit that we had had, I guess, since the '30s."

He followed in his dad's footsteps to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, to pursue agricultural engineering, but he soon found out he'd need an additional two more years of math classes to pursue the degree. He dabbled in animal science before deciding a degree in agricultural education would be more practical. When he returned, he moved into the bunk house on the family property. 

His first job was on the Carson Valley Conservation District, which his great uncle Fred founded decades before. He later became the chair and served on it for 28 years. 

The way he tells it, his political ascent came almost by accident. He missed a key meeting in Yerington because his tractor broke down. Two weeks later, he was fixing another issue with the vehicle when he got a call from then-Gov. Kenny Guinn (R). The governor congratulated him. Settelmeyer asked why.

"'Well, they put your name forward as being on the Nevada State Conservation Commission, and you're not telling me 'No,' are you?'" Settelmeyer recounted. 

When he was five minutes late to the next meeting, Joe Sicking put up his name for chair of the body that guides and regulates the state's 28 conservation districts. In that role, he began testifying more at the Legislature alongside his representative, who encouraged Settelmeyer to take his seat when he retired.

"So I had a five-way primary, I was outspent five-to-one by a self-funder. I beat him. In a four-way race, I got 54 percent of the vote," Settelmeyer said about that first Assembly race. "Not going to be that this time."

Brian Krolicki, then the state's treasurer who would soon become lieutenant governor, said his family friend was one of Settelmeyer's opponents in that 2006 primary.

"After the election, James just reached out and goes, 'You know, I don't know who you voted for, but I know you were friends with this other gentleman, but I hope to earn your respect, your support. I'm here for you,'" Krolicki recalled. "A conversation like that lasts for a long time."

A conservative record? 

Settelmeyer took questions from The Indy about his record at JT Basque, a beloved Gardnerville restaurant in the style of the boarding houses that served 19th century sheep herders. 

A small plaque hangs above the table. It reads "Wednesday Club" on one line and "Arthur Settelmeyer" on the next. Picon Punch, beans and steak arrived in quick succession. 

Many of the attacks from Flippo and aligned allies, including far-right activist Laura Loomer, relate to his votes while serving in the minority — two Assembly terms and 12 years in the state Senate — for almost his whole career. 

"If you're in the minority, there are times that it's your job to look at a bill that may come out," he says, lightly brandishing his knife. "There was a scalpel that was going to literally cut the throat of your constituents, because it was so egregious, so terrible, it was horrid. It's your job to make that into an old butter knife and try to get compromises, so that it doesn't hurt your constituencies as bad."

He addressed numerous attacks, including allegations that he voted to give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants — like several other Nevada Republicans, he voted to implement driver authorization cards. Over dinner, he said they required yearly renewal, which meant holders needed to regularly report their whereabouts. 

Former Sen. Pete Goicoechea (R-Eureka), who also voted for the bill, defended the move.

"It didn't mean that you were handing driver's licenses out to illegals. … There was a lot more to that bill than what's being put out there."

Similarly, Melissa Clement, president of Nevada Right to Life, called assertions that Settelmeyer voted to fund abortions incorrect and "frustrating."

"It's mostly birth control," she said about the legislation in question, which passed unanimously. "We watched it, and we even were involved in making sure that the contraceptives listed in that bill were not anything that was going to inhibit fertilization."

Settelmeyer has also faced criticism for introducing an open primaries bill in 2017 that went nowhere. He said he did so in support of his friend Doug Goodman, an activist who has pushed to give nonpartisans more of a voice. Settelmeyer said he no longer supports that effort. 

He wants more election security measures even if he doesn't want to throw out electronic voting machines.  

"A lot of times people say, 'Well, look, there's absolutely no proven fraud.' If there is a perception of fraud, then people do not feel confident in their electoral system, therefore you have to increase safeguards." 

He acknowledged his vote for a 2021 Senate resolution promoting equal rights.

"They're saying, 'Oh, my God, he voted for equal rights for women.'" he said. "Yes, yes, I did. … The citizens agreed with that stuff."

He often worked with Goicoechea on rural issues. 

"He's one of us," said Goicoechea. He called Flippo "a carpetbagger."

"Everybody's got bills that somebody didn't like," Goicoechea said. "If you voted on bills or you brought legislation forward. And I don't think there's any other candidate that's in the race that really ever brought any legislation or wrote a bill."

Over his career, Settelmeyer boasted top scores from conservative groups. He put forth legislation to implement drug tests for welfare recipients. He fought for legislation to help craft brewers grow their businesses. In 2015, the rare occasion Republicans had the majority, he supported school choice legislation and was one of just three GOP senators to vote against a $1.1 billion tax increase. In 2019, he opposed collective bargaining for state workers and expanded background checks. He proposed a tax on electric vehicles to fund road repairs.

That year, he also sued the state. The Democrat-led Legislature in the waning moments of the 2019 session passed two major tax bills. Even though the state Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote for bills that boost revenue, Democrats didn't meet the threshold, relying on a legal opinion from legislative staff. 

Two years later, the state Supreme Court concurred.

"There weren't a lot of businesses in Nevada that stepped up to help him out on it. They don't want to sue the governor; they don't want to sue the majority leader," said Paul Enos, the CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association. "He put the ranch on the line when he signed the contract with the attorneys."

But Settelmeyer was also the sort of lawmaker who could work with people, even when they didn't see eye-to-eye. 

Top lobbyist Billy Vassiliadis called Settelmeyer "one of my favorite people to consistently disagree with." 

Clement said, "If I want something as a lobbyist, sometimes 'No,' is a good answer, too. He was always easy to work with because he would say, 'Yes', 'No', 'I'll see.'"

Caroline Mello Roberson, former state director for a reproductive rights organization, remembered how she was always trying to explain to Settelmeyer the importance of keeping track of birth control pills. He voted against a lot of what she wanted, but she said, "I really appreciated that he actually wanted to understand."

That style helped him win one of his biggest achievements: bringing Uber to the state in 2015. Enos called him "probably the father of rideshare in Nevada." 

"A lot of members of the Legislature took money from [the taxi industry]," said a former Republican lawmaker who asked to remain anonymous. "But James is very much a right-and-wrong kind of guy. And he saw that as wrong, that they would have a monopoly, and that consumers should not have a choice." 

Vassiliadis also praised his efforts to get rideshare companies licensed and regulated. 

"The bill took all session long, and he did a heck of a job, stayed with it, negotiated with all sides, and got something," he said. "I don't know that it's meaningful in the grand scheme of the world, but for Nevada and tourism, it was incredibly important."

Settelmeyer worked closely on the effort with former state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson (D-Las Vegas), the state's third African-American and first openly gay Senate majority leader. He said the pair were "good friends," though he mentioned Atkinson "unfortunately, went to jail" for misuse of campaign funds. 

Settelmeyer also convinced members of his own party to throw their weight behind the effort. 

"Learning how to build coalitions to get something as challenging as that — it takes a statesman," said Enos. "You can't do that as a firebrand. You can't do that as a gadfly."

Vassiliadis said Settelmeyer could see reality and was key in ending coal-burning energy generation in the state, the last time he remembers such a controversial bill get through a committee with unanimous support.

"Despite him being a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, he wasn't blinded to where the world was going and what was evolving," he said.

The new Mark Amodei?

When Settelmeyer retired from the Legislature, his mind turned to making more money to help put his two daughters through school. Being a legislator pays about $8,000 per year. He makes only about $2,500 a month as a rancher; he buys his hay squeezes and harobeds used. 

Then, along came a six-figure opportunity. Newly elected Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) appointed him Director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 2023.

In that role, Settelmeyer said he worked with the Trump administration to move $25 million, which had been locked up, into a more liquid account, then arranged to have it used to buy back water rights from willing sellers in areas that had been over-appropriated. 

In an indirect way, the job further prepared him to run for Congress.

"Because of his past work, he's got some contacts, pretty much, across the United States, that are going to help him understand the process," said his friend retired lobbyist Cheryl Blomstrom. 

After Amodei's surprise retirement opened the floodgates of the GOP primary, Settelmeyer heard the rumors that 2024 Senate nominee Sam Brown (R) was the White House's favorite.

"I saw no reason to go against President Trump if he was going to do that," Settelmeyer said. "There were several people that wanted me to."

When Brown declined a bid, Settelmeyer started getting more calls suggesting he throw his signature cowboy hat in the ring. He had imagined running for Congress at some point. He just didn't think he'd have to make the decision so soon. His family had safety concerns about people showing up at the ranch. 

That included his girlfriend, Charlie De La Paz, a lobbyist and former Assembly candidate. The pair both went through divorces around the same time and have now been together for years.

"It got really scary very quickly," she said. "We're already very, very committed to each other, to being together for forever, right? And so it's kind of like, 'OK, this is for real. We have to talk to our children. And then, what does this mean for life?'"

She said it was unusual for Settelmeyer to make a decision so fast.

"I don't weigh things for quite as long as he weighs them, which is very thoughtful," she said. "He didn't want to do anything unless he talked to the governor."

Lombardo did not ask Settelmeyer to run. He had to approach his boss himself. 

"I talked to him, and he said he would support me no matter what I did," Settelmeyer said. "I was like, 'Well, thank you.' I was kinda hoping he would be more definitive."

Lombardo endorsed Settelmeyer in late March, along with the retiring congressman. Since then, the aspiring congressman has gone to Amodei for advice.

The two first met when Settelmeyer won an Assembly seat 20 years ago. At the time, legendary state Sen. Bill Raggio (R-Reno), who Amodei served alongside in leadership, had reservations about Settelmeyer.

"He says, 'You're too conservative, but you know, I have to show you the ropes,'" Settelmeyer said of Raggio. "'Because, when I was a freshman, a guy showed me the ropes. That was your great uncle Fred Settelmeyer.'"

For his part, Amodei recalls the weight of the Settelmeyer name. 

"They were all positive things," Amodei remembered, "It wasn't one of those things like, 'Well, yeah, it's a prominent family, but did you hear about the time that he went baby seal hunting at Lake Tahoe?'"

Amodei's assessment of Settelmeyer now is that he's "very thoughtful. Not fly off the handle, 'blah, blah, blah.' Does his homework." 

There is one thing that would distinguish the two men in Congress (and disappoint reporters).

"One of the greatest things about Mark is he'll just speak right off the cuff and say anything he wants," Settelmeyer said. "Sometimes, one of the worst things about Mark is he speaks off the cuff, he says anything he wants."

Many people interviewed for this story see Settelmeyer as the kind of lawmaker who would continue representing Northern Nevada in the Amodei tradition. The two have faced similar accusations from Flippo and others that they're not conservative enough — that they're "RINOs," Republicans in Name Only. 

Amodei called it "total lies," pointing out that those on the Left "hate his guts" and equate him with Trump. 

"The interesting thing is, President Trump endorsed me before I said, 'Hey, I'm not coming back in.'" Amodei said. "I can tell you that I'm in regular contact with the White House political people."

What do they tell him?

"They're not telling me. I'm telling them. I'm telling them that they need to take a real close look at [Settelmeyer] and that the credentials there are phenomenal, and there's no comparison."

What would he do in Congress? 

Asked to grade Trump's second term, Settelmeyer gave it an A-minus, higher than the grade Amodei assigned the president last year. "I think he's done a lot to help try to stimulate job growth," Settelmeyer said, adding, "I think he's done a tremendous job securing the border."

Asked about Amodei's controversial plan to sell off public lands last year, Settelmeyer said he preferred the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which put money from land sales toward conservation efforts. As a congressman, he said he'd seek to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee and work to solve problems posed by checkerboarded lands. He said he favors a "balanced" approach, criticizing creation of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Clark County for blocking access to deposits of rare earth minerals. 

"I care about wildlife very much, but I care about humanity," he said. 

On water, Settelmeyer said he'd be open to some sort of trade with California desalination plants or buying water rights from Arizona farmers upstream.

"Connecting the Mississippi to Colorado — that's a little bit more extreme," he said. "I do believe that America should look at gigantic projects, things that are monumental. You know, get back to the days of Hoover Dam, Golden Gate Bridge, things you can build and be proud of for generations to come." 

Settelmeyer sounds eager to hear from voters. But asked if he would hold town halls — which Amodei has been criticized for eschewing — Settelmeyer said, "I like the telephone town halls. … Town halls are great, but man, it's not fair to the district. It's so dispersed. Also, sometimes you get people that just set you up to come yell at you and throw tomatoes at you."

The patrons at JT's, at least, don't look like the type. A few smile at him as he exits. The staff sounds like they've known him forever. Another guest walks in and greets him warmly. Before stepping outside, he gestures to the decor. It's his hat.

Not far are his dad's and granddad's, front and center on the wall.