Editor’s note: This is the beginning of a series previewing the congressional and statewide races in the Nevada primary election, set for June 9. The election will determine which Democrats and Republicans will face each other in the Nov. 3 general election. These stories feature comments from candidates who agreed to interviews with The Center Square.
(The Center Square) – Voters in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District are considering public land sales, artificial intelligence data centers and the national debt as they prepare for the June 9 primary election.
The northern district covers roughly one-third of Nevada. It is considered the state’s most rural congressional district, with its largest population centers in Reno, Sparks and the state’s capital, Carson City.
U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, has represented the district since 2011 as the state’s only Republican in the U.S. House. Amodei, 67, announced in February that he would not run for reelection, leaving a slew of candidates from both parties vying for his seat.
In May 2025, Amodei introduced an amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would have sold thousands of acres of federally owned land in Nevada and Utah in exchange for tax breaks. The amendment passed the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee along partisan lines but was never considered under the bill’s full passage.
“You see that kind of disconnect after over 15 years in Washington,” said John Kerns, a former homicide investigator and Democrat running in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District.
“Perhaps Mark Amodei lost his sense of value and respect for that sacred part of Nevada’s history, but it really is a huge issue for us,” Kerns told The Center Square about preserving Nevada’s public lands.
Tom Doyle, a former casino owner and Republican running in the 2nd District, also warned against sales of public lands. He called for a cautionary approach that includes thorough input from local and state leaders.
“We do not want lands to be sold up to some developer who’s going to put a strain on our water systems or on our electricity grids,” Doyle told The Center Square.
David Flippo, an Air Force veteran, leads Republicans in fundraising for the seat. He has received more than $427,000 in campaign contributions, according to most recent Federal Elections Commission filings.
However, Eureka County Sheriff Jesse Watts accused Flippo of using campaign funds to rent a personal house in Reno. Federal Election Commission filings show Flippo’s campaign made three separate payments to a real-estate company over a period of three months for “rent.”
Flippo denied the home he rented was his personal residence and was instead a campaign headquarters. Federal campaign laws do not allow candidates to use campaign money for personal property.
Flippo did not respond to The Center Square’s request for an interview. His campaign has focused on reducing foreign energy dependence, cutting government spending and supporting President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“We need a forward-thinking approach that leverages American resources, innovation and infrastructure to lower costs, boost our economy and strengthen national security,” Flippo’s website reads.
Resource scarcity is an increased concern for candidates and voters across the 2nd District. Companies including Google, Tract and Switch are among many developers operating, building and expanding data centers near Reno.
Doyle said these data centers should be required to provide their own electricity and develop power plants.
“You can build your data centers, but you’ve got to build the infrastructure for the power that is going to be required for the data center, so that the local community is not going to be impacted,” Doyle told The Center Square.
Matthew Fonken, former field director for the Blue Wave America Political Action Committee and a Democrat running in the district, said he is also concerned about companies that move into Nevada to avoid paying taxes. He is advocating for policies that don’t provide tax breaks for companies moving into Nevada.
“We need to make sure that they are held responsible and accountable to our environment and to the people here that are affecting our costs, especially our energy costs with these data centers coming in,” Fonken told the Center Square.
Fonken is the second-highest Democratic earner in the 2nd District race. He has raised $59,615, according to most recent Federal Election Commission filings. He received a $5,000 contribution from Blue Wave America, the PAC where he formerly served as a field director and North Carolina state director.
Greg Kidd, CEO of technology firm USBC, leads the Democratic candidates in funding for the 2nd Congressional District. He has emphasized that his campaign is self-funded, including nearly $563,000 in loans mostly paid for himself.
Kidd did not respond to The Center Square’s multiple requests for an interview or a comment on his financial disclosures.
He has called for greater scrutiny over Trump administration policies and close regulation of AI development to protect the environment.
“We have a [data center] boom in Nevada, but it makes no sense that we’re subsidizing them when we already have a shortage of power and water,” Kidd told Ballotpedia. “Big tech should be paying us — putting energy back into the grid. AI should work for people, not people for AI.”
Several candidates were also concerned about reducing the national debt. Mike Smith, a former Navy captain and Republican running for Congress, said the Department of War needs to be exposed to more audits.
The Pentagon has failed eight financial audits in a row. Smith, a former military contract analyst, said the department should have greater scrutiny over its contracts in order to reduce costs and promote efficiency.
“Every component of the federal government is free game for making things more efficient and effective,” Smith told The Center Square.
Kerns also outlined a 10-year plan to reduce the national debt, which included increased taxes on corporations and reductions in defense spending.
“We need to start treating this like a mortgage in a way where we pay off a portion of our national debt every year, every biannual budget, and we take care of the problem over time,” Kerns said.
Voting centers in Nevada are open now through June 5 across Nevada. Voters can also submit a ballot through the state’s universal mail-in ballot program. Polls are open on June 9 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, go to the Nevada Secretary of State’s website, nvsos.gov. Early election results will be published on the evening of June 9 at www.thecentersquare.com/nevada.
