Republicans set sights on flipping three Democratic seats in Nevada in 2026

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., from left, Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. and Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., wave to the audience at a campaign rally, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. Photo by Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has designated all three of Nevada’s Democratic House members as targets in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections as the GOP seeks to strengthen its narrow majority.

Democratic Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford join 23 other House Democrats on the committee’s target list. The committee provides financial contributions, technical assistance and voter education programs to Republican candidates.

Republicans hold a 218-213 voting majority in the House with four vacancies — two in each party.

“With the current political climate shifting toward commonsense Republican leadership, these districts present prime pickup opportunities for the GOP,” said Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for National Republican Congressional Committee, in a statement.

In the 2024 general election, Horsford won by 8 percentage points, Titus by 7.5 points and Lee by less than 3 points.

The three Democratic House incumbents in Nevada have secured their positions through four consecutive elections, with Titus establishing herself as the senior member of the state’s Democratic federal delegation. Titus has represented Nevada’s 1st Congressional District since 2013.

Looking ahead to 2026, Republicans may face significant challenges in congressional races due to historical midterm patterns that typically favor the party not holding the White House.

Historical data from the Center for Politics reveals a consistent trend: since the Civil War, the president’s party has lost ground in the House of Representatives in 38 out of 41 midterm elections. The only three exceptions were in 1934, 1998 and 2002.

The impact of this pattern was clearly demonstrated during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2018, when Democrats defeated 29 Republican incumbents and captured 14 open seats to reclaim the House majority. In former President Joe Biden’s term, Republicans regained the lower chamber in the 2022 midterm.

With Trump back in the White House, Democrats are looking to flip the already-slim majority Republicans hold.

“Time and again, southern Nevadans have chosen problem-solving over extremism,” wrote Chris D’Aloia, a spokesperson for Lee, in a statement. “Working families have lined up to support Susie Lee because she’s fought to lower costs, create jobs, protect our freedoms, strengthen national security, and secure even more investments for Nevada’s water supply and infrastructure.”

The congressional committee has escalated its campaign against Nevada representatives ahead of the 2026 election cycle. This latest target list follows an earlier advertising offensive launched last week that criticized the three Nevada Democrats for opposing the Republican-crafted continuing resolution that ensures federal agencies remain funded through Sept. 30.

The GOP-backed spending measure faced widespread Democratic opposition. Most congressional Democrats voted against the bill, advocating instead for a shorter 30-day stopgap funding solution rather than the six-month extension that passed and was signed by Trump.

Democratic lawmakers contended that the longer funding period would grant President Donald Trump expanded authority to redirect federal spending according to his priorities. The dispute highlights growing partisan tensions over budget control as both parties position themselves for the upcoming election cycle.

The announcement from the Republican committee follows the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s release of its “Frontline” list, which includes the three Nevada representatives among 26 Democrats the committee considers “battle-tested incumbents” in competitive races.

“The common thread among them was their laser focus on pocketbook issues and running disciplined campaigns with a message of delivering results, not hyperpartisan rhetoric,” said Suzan DelBene, the chairperson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a statement.

A spokesperson for Horsford’s campaign said the targeting wasn’t surprising given the competitive nature of his district.

“It’s why every cycle our team works tirelessly to ensure we have the resources to execute a winning campaign,” the spokesperson said. “This election will be no different.”

Nevada’s two U.S. Senate seats, held by Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, won’t be up for election in 2026.

The Republicans’ Senate majority must defend 22 of the 35 seats up for grabs, while Democrats only must protect 13. Most of those Republican seats on the ballot come from states Trump won in the general election, with the exception of Maine.