Democrat Benitez-Thompson flips Amodei's northern Nevada House seat

Democrats are projected to flip the northern Nevada House seat held by retiring Rep. Mark Amodei, according to Decision Desk HQ ¹. Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson, a social worker and former majority leader of the state House, defeated Republican David Flippo, an Air Force veteran ¹.

With 85 percent of the vote counted Wednesday morning, Benitez-Thompson had more than 50 percent and Flippo just more than 44 percent ¹. The district covers Reno and the entire upper half of Nevada ¹.

The result lands in a conservative stronghold that has never sent a Democrat to Congress, and one President Trump carried by 14 percentage points in 2024 ¹. Separately, the Associated Press reported that Democrats had won control of the House ².

Controversies dogged the Republican

Flippo faced allegations of financial wrongdoing ¹. Late in the campaign it was reported that he had claimed for years that he earned a Bronze Star award "with valor," meaning he performed acts of heroism in combat; according to the report, he received a Bronze Star in 2004, but not for valor ¹.

Amodei has sharply criticized Flippo and said he wouldn't vote for him ¹. Flippo's campaign said the discrepancy was the result of mistakes made by aides ¹. The controversies dogged Flippo's campaign and gave hope to Democrats that Benitez-Thompson could flip the seat ¹.

House Democrats' campaign arm included the Nevada contest on its coveted "Red to Blue" list, and Benitez-Thompson notched endorsements from key Democrats, including Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and California Rep. Pete Aguilar ¹. Her campaign largely focused on affordability, fighting corruption in Washington and protecting public lands ¹.

What happens next

Benitez-Thompson's win is one more seat in a Democratic House majority that the AP described as a "shockingly decisive rebuke of Republican governance in Washington" ². The AP reported that Democratic leaders have signaled they will use their foothold in Congress for investigations of top administration members and deeper scrutiny of how Trump has enriched his family ².

That matters because the seat was won for years by Republicans, and Trump's 14-point margin there in 2024 underscored how conservative the district is ¹. A Democrat winning it with more than half the vote, with counting still under way, is a notable result ¹².

The Record

1. Nov 5, 2024President Trump carried Nevada's 2nd District by 14 percentage points in 2024 ¹.
2. Nov 3, 2026Democrats won control of the U.S. House in the midterm elections, the Associated Press reported ².
3. Nov 4, 2026With 85 percent of the vote counted, Benitez-Thompson had more than 50 percent and Flippo just more than 44 percent ¹.

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<h2>Democrat Benitez-Thompson flips Amodei&#39;s northern Nevada House seat</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/democrat-benitez-thompson-flips-amodei-s-northern-nevada-house-seat">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democrats are projected to flip the northern Nevada House seat held by retiring Rep. Mark Amodei, according to Decision Desk HQ . Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson, a social worker and former majority leader of the state House, defeated Republican David Flippo, an Air Force veteran .</p> <p>With 85 percent of the vote counted Wednesday morning, Benitez-Thompson had more than 50 percent and Flippo just more than 44 percent . The district covers Reno and the entire upper half of Nevada .</p> <p>The result lands in a conservative stronghold that has never sent a Democrat to Congress, and one President Trump carried by 14 percentage points in 2024 . Separately, the Associated Press reported that Democrats had won control of the House .</p> <h2>Controversies dogged the Republican</h2> <p>Flippo faced allegations of financial wrongdoing . Late in the campaign it was reported that he had claimed for years that he earned a Bronze Star award &quot;with valor,&quot; meaning he performed acts of heroism in combat; according to the report, he received a Bronze Star in 2004, but not for valor .</p> <p>Amodei has sharply criticized Flippo and said he wouldn&#39;t vote for him . Flippo&#39;s campaign said the discrepancy was the result of mistakes made by aides . The controversies dogged Flippo&#39;s campaign and gave hope to Democrats that Benitez-Thompson could flip the seat .</p> <p>House Democrats&#39; campaign arm included the Nevada contest on its coveted &quot;Red to Blue&quot; list, and Benitez-Thompson notched endorsements from key Democrats, including Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and California Rep. Pete Aguilar . Her campaign largely focused on affordability, fighting corruption in Washington and protecting public lands .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Benitez-Thompson&#39;s win is one more seat in a Democratic House majority that the AP described as a &quot;shockingly decisive rebuke of Republican governance in Washington&quot; . The AP reported that Democratic leaders have signaled they will use their foothold in Congress for investigations of top administration members and deeper scrutiny of how Trump has enriched his family .</p> <p>That matters because the seat was won for years by Republicans, and Trump&#39;s 14-point margin there in 2024 underscored how conservative the district is . A Democrat winning it with more than half the vote, with counting still under way, is a notable result .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/democrat-benitez-thompson-flips-amodei-s-northern-nevada-house-seat">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/democrat-benitez-thompson-flips-amodei-s-northern-nevada-house-seat.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “Democrats clinch open Amodei House seat in Nevada” (2026-11-04). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6186326-democrats-flip-amodei-
2. PBS NewsHour, “Democrats win control of the U.S. House” (2026-11-04). pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-win-control-of-the-u-s-h

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