GOP analyst running for US House in Nevada swing district

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A conservative policy analyst announced Thursday that he will run in 2024 for the highly competitive congressional seat in Nevada currently held by U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, a third-term Democrat.

Drew Johnson, a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research, said in a statement that his bid for the U.S. House in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District marks an effort “to help restore the basic, fundamental role of government for our citizens.”

Lee won reelection in November by 4 percentage points. Her swing district has long been considered the state’s most competitive, although more Democratic voters were added to the district in 2021, when the Nevada Legislature redrew state and congressional districts.

The district includes a large swath of Spring Valley, a diverse area in Las Vegas, as well as portions of rural Clark County.

Johnson’s bid for Congress comes after a close race in November for a seat on the Clark County Commission. He lost by 336 votes and placed blame on the state Republican Party for poor voter turnout, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported at the time.

“Many of these Republicans didn’t vote because people in our party’s leadership, other GOP candidates, and respected grassroots conservative activists led them to believe the election was rigged,” Johnson said.

Johnson faces a challenge in the Republican primary from former Nevada state Sen. Elizabeth Helgelien, who announced her bid in March.