Susie Lee wins a fifth term in Nevada's swing 3rd District

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Susie Lee has won a fifth term representing Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, the Las Vegas-area seat she has held since 2019. The Associated Press declared her the winner over Republican Marty O'Donnell at 4:04 a.m. Eastern time on November 4, 2026.

The district covers part of metro Las Vegas and rural Clark County. Trump carried it in 2024 while Lee won her fourth term, which makes it one of the handful of seats where the presidential and congressional results split. Republicans targeted it again this year, and Lee campaigned on costs, healthcare, housing and water.

Why it matters

Nevada's 3rd is one of the seats that decides House control, and it stays in Democratic hands despite Trump carrying it in 2024.

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Key Indicators

Terms in Congress

Lee's win gives her a fifth two-year term; she was first elected in 2018.

2018

Year first elected

Lee has represented the district since 2019.

Years per House term

The seat is up again in the 2028 election.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Susie Lee

U.S. Representative, Nevada's 3rd Congressional District

Reelected to a fifth term; due to be sworn in January 2027

Marty O'Donnell

Republican nominee, Nevada's 3rd Congressional District

Lost the 2026 general election

Organizations Involved

U.S. House of Representatives

Congressional chamber

Lee's fifth term begins when the new Congress convenes in January 2027

The chamber Lee will join for a fifth two-year term, where control determines the legislative agenda.

Nevada's 3rd Congressional District

Congressional district

Democratic-held after the 2026 election

A Las Vegas-area district that includes part of metro Las Vegas and rural Clark County.

Timeline

2018 November 2026

4 events Latest: Today

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
AP declares Lee the winner
Today Election

The Associated Press calls the race for Lee, handing her a fifth term.
Today • 4:04 a.m. EST
2026
O'Donnell wins the Republican primary
Election

The retired video game composer secures the nomination with Trump's endorsement.
2026
2024
Trump carries the district, Lee wins her fourth term
Election

The presidential and House results in Nevada's 3rd split, making it a target again.
2024
2018
Lee first wins the seat
Election

Susie Lee is elected to Congress for the first time and takes office in 2019.
2018

Scenarios

Lee is sworn in for a fifth term in January 2027

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: The Associated Press race call and standard congressional transition practice

Once the race is certified, new members are sworn in when the next Congress convenes. Nothing in the record suggests the result is in doubt, so this is the default path: Lee takes her seat and the district's representation stays unchanged.

O'Donnell contests the result or requests a recount

Unlikely Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: Election analysts watching a Republican-targeted district, though no challenge has been filed

A close margin or a disputed count could push the losing campaign to seek a recount or file a legal challenge under Nevada election rules. That would draw out certification and give Republicans a second route to the seat.

Republicans flip Nevada's 3rd in 2028

Uncertain Resolves by Nov 30, 2028

Discussed by: Political forecasters who rate the district as a perennial toss-up

Because the district split its ticket in 2024, it stays on Republican target lists. A national environment favoring the out-party, or an open seat if Lee retires, would give the GOP another shot at flipping it in the next presidential cycle.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 1994

Republican takeover of Congress (1994)

Republicans won control of both chambers for the first time in 40 years, unseating a large crop of Democratic incumbents, many of them in conservative-leaning districts.

Then

Democrats lost the House majority and the speaker's gavel.

Now

The result established that a House majority built on swing districts can disappear in a single cycle.

Why this matters now

Lee's seat is exactly the kind that changes hands when the national environment turns, which is why holding it is treated as a win rather than a formality.

November 2010

Republican midterm wave (2010)

Republicans won back the House in a midterm election dominated by the economy, and Democrats in districts that had voted for Republicans at the presidential level took the heaviest losses.

Then

Control of the House flipped and the Obama administration's legislative agenda stalled.

Now

Swing-district Democrats began treating their seats as two-year rentals rather than safe holds.

Why this matters now

It explains why both parties spend heavily on places like Nevada's 3rd every cycle: the seat's partisan lean and the incumbent's survival are two separate things.

November 2018

Suburban House realignment (2018)

Democrats won the House majority on the strength of suburban districts, including seats that had voted Republican in recent presidential elections. Lee was first elected that year.

Then

Democrats gained control of the chamber and launched investigations into the Trump administration.

Now

The suburban shift made split-ticket districts like Nevada's 3rd competitive for both parties, though neither has locked it down.

Why this matters now

Lee's tenure tracks this realignment; her fifth win is a test of whether the 2018 coalition still holds in a district Trump carried in 2024.