Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District has the power to help decide which party controls the US House of Representatives — and Democrats are working to help Democratic Rep. Susie Lee keep her seat against Republican nominee Marty O’Donnell, who’s been embroiled in several controversies leading up to the election.
Though the district is represented by Lee, President Donald Trump narrowly won it in 2024, showing just how easily it can swing to either political party. The district covers the southwest part of Las Vegas, including Summerlin and Enterprise.
Here’s a breakdown of both Lee and O’Donnell.
Who is Susie Lee?
Lee has lived in Las Vegas since 1993 and was first elected to Congress in 2018. She’s notably helped pass legislation to help lower housing costs, protect the water supply and expand access to health care.
The congresswoman prides herself on being a centrist Democrat. As a wave of Democratic Socialists of America candidates crop up nationwide, Lee recently pledged to reject socialist policies and to embrace capitalistic policies.
And unlike many fellow Democrats, she’s voiced support for stricter voter ID laws. This support, however, has drawn pushback from civil rights groups, including the Las Vegas chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Despite her centrist stance, she’s an avid supporter of reproductive rights. Lee believes the right to an abortion should be enshrined in the US constitution, and supports in vitro fertilization (IVF), as she conceived both of her sons through IVF.
Lee has also been named as the most bipartisan lawmaker by the Common Ground Committee.
While extremists are rising in both parties — known as MAGA Republicans and Democratic Socialists — Lee holds steady with her bipartisan nature and has voiced support to fight against hyperpartisanships on both sides in Congress.
Who is Marty O’Donnell?
O’Donnell is mostly known for his musical compositions for popular video games, such as “Halo.”
Unlike Lee, O’Donnell isn’t taking a bipartisan approach. He’s backed by the House Republicans’ “MAGA Majority” program, which supports conservatives in battleground districts. When he first announced his bid to Congress, he said if he didn’t have Trump’s endorsement, he would drop out of the race. Trump endorsed O’Donnell two months before the primary election.
O’Donnell, who hasn’t held an elected position, has been embroiled in controversies regarding a multitude of issues.
He was first criticized after clips resurfaced of him calling LGBTQ+ people an “existential threat” and grouping the community with Marxists and “Islamists,” alleging they’re working in a “weird alliance.” The comments recently got him uninvited from a Halo 25 reunion after he was notified LGBTQ+ staff weren’t comfortable with his attendance. He called the rescinded invitation “cancel culture.”
He’s also said he wouldn’t have chosen to live in Las Vegas “out of the blue” and has been under fire by Nevada Democrats for owning a home in California after indicating followers would see more of that residence when he is “taking a little break from Las Vegas.”
This is not O’Donnell’s first time running for Congress.
He attempted to unseat Lee in 2024, but failed to advance past the Republican primary. During that brief run, he admitted he didn’t know much about his district, such as issues regarding housing, water and infrastructure.
If elected, he said he would vote to fund the war in Iran “in a heartbeat,” and believes the president should be allowed immediate military authority.
For a breakdown on additional key races in the battleground state, read here.
