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

Overview

Updated 7 days ago

Susie Lee won a fifth term in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Marty O'Donnell 59% to 39% in a Las Vegas-area seat Donald Trump carried in 2024. The Associated Press called the race at 4:04 a.m. Eastern on November 4, 2026.

Democrats retook the House that night and also won the Senate, and Lee's Southern Nevada colleagues Dina Titus and Steven Horsford held their seats. The Nevada Independent describes Lee as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress; O'Donnell put $4 million of his own money into the race, and a group tied to Trump canceled $3 million in planned ads for him late in the campaign.

Why it matters

A seat that split its ticket in 2024 stays Democratic, helping the party take back the House.

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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.

Point margin

Lee led O'Donnell 59% to 39% in the count reported early on November 4.

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 with about 59% of the vote; due to be sworn in January 2027

Marty O'Donnell

Republican nominee, Nevada's 3rd Congressional District

Lost the 2026 general election by about 20 points

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 in Clark County that takes in southern Las Vegas and the southwestern part of the county.

Timeline

2018 November 2026

7 events Latest: 7 days ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
AP declares Lee the winner
Latest Election

The Associated Press calls the race for Lee, handing her a fifth term.
7 days ago • 4:04 a.m. EST
Count shows Lee ahead by about 20 points
Election

Results reported through the night put Lee at 59% to O'Donnell's 39%, a gap of roughly 51,000 votes.
7 days ago
Democrats win control of the House
Election

Democrats took the House majority and the Senate on the same night, with Titus and Horsford also winning in Southern Nevada.
7 days ago
Nevada voters approve abortion-rights amendment
Ballot measure

Question 6 passed for the second time, writing the state's 24-week abortion standard into the Nevada Constitution.
7 days ago
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.