Trump Endorses Air Force Veteran Flippo in Nevada CD-2 Primary Over Lombardo-Backed Settelmeyer

President Donald J. Trump has thrown his considerable weight behind retired Air Force Lt. Col. David Flippo in Nevada’s fiercely contested Republican primary for the state’s 2nd Congressional District, delivering a major blow to James Settelmeyer, a born and raised local rancher and former Nevada state lawmaker. CD-2 has become the most competitive intra-party race in the Silver State.

In a Truth Social post Friday, Trump declared: “It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, David Flippo, who is running to represent the fantastic people of Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District!”

Flippo, a veteran and self-described “Trump Republican,” has positioned himself as the purest voice of the MAGA movement in the race. He has poured significant personal resources into his campaign and hammered home conservative priorities including border security, energy dominance, no tax on tips, and strong Second Amendment protections.

Flippo previously ran and lost races in Southern Nevada, including a 2022 Assembly bid and a 2024 congressional bid in Las Vegas, before switching to the northern CD-2 race. Critics have hammered him as a Las Vegas carpetbagger who is currently renting a home in the Reno area while maintaining his primary residence in Las Vegas. 

The endorsement comes just days before the June 9 Republican primary in Nevada CD-2, a vast, solidly conservative district spanning Reno and rural northern Nevada that Trump carried by 14 points in 2024. The seat opened after longtime Rep. Mark Amodei announced his surprise retirement earlier this year. The winner of the GOP primary is all but guaranteed victory in November in this deep-red district.

Former State Senate Minority Leader James Settelmeyer, a fourth-generation Nevada rancher from Minden, has built his campaign on deep local roots, decades of legislative experience. He boasts the backing of Gov. Joe Lombardo and Rep. Mark Amodei. Settelmeyer has emphasized his record fighting tax increases, defending rural Nevada values, and his work as former director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. His supporters argue he understands the unique needs of northern Nevada’s ranchers, farmers, and working families.

Settelmeyer’s campaign has faced sharp attacks from Flippo and MAGA-aligned groups and “influencers” over past votes, including his support for driver authorization cards for undocumented immigrants in 2013 (a measure he defended as improving state tracking) and other issues painted as insufficiently conservative.

David Flippo, by contrast, has campaigned as an outsider untainted by Carson City politics. A retired Lieutenant Colonel with a strong business background, Flippo has self-funded much of his effort and secured broad support from prominent national MAGA figures, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Laura Loomer, as well as Ambassador Ric Grenell and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Turning Point USA has also endorsed his candidacy and is working alongside his campaign.

He has aggressively portrayed Settelmeyer as part of the “swamp” and positioned himself as the true America First choice.

The Trump endorsement is widely seen as a potential game-changer in a crowded 13-candidate Republican field. While Settelmeyer holds strong local institutional support, Trump’s seal of approval has proven decisive in GOP primaries.

Amodei quickly pushed back, calling Trump’s endorsement a “mistake” and doubling down on his support for Settelmeyer, stressing the need for a candidate with deep Northern Nevada ties. Former Eureka County Sheriff Jesse Watts suspended his campaign and endorsed Settelmeyer in response

With the primary just over a week away, Trump’s intervention has electrified the race and forced every Republican in Nevada to take notice. Flippo now enters the final stretch with Trump behind him, while Settelmeyer and his local allies are banking on Northern Nevadans to hold the line.