David Flippo, an Air Force veteran supported by President Trump, won the Republican primary in rural Nevada’s Second Congressional District, according to The Associated Press, defeating a candidate backed by Gov. Joe Lombardo and other Republican leaders in the state.
The win was yet another indication of the strength of the president’s endorsement in G.O.P. races this primary season, even as his overall approval rating is in negative territory. Mr. Trump has waded into an array of contests, backing candidates who have shown him loyalty while seeking to defeat those who have crossed him.
Mr. Flippo, who has not held elected office, defeated James Settelmeyer, a fourth-generation rancher and former state senator who had endorsements from prominent Nevada Republicans, including Mr. Lombardo and the retiring congressman who represents the district, Mark Amodei.
Mr. Amodei, who has held the seat since 2011, was the first Republican in Congress to support an impeachment inquiry against Mr. Trump in 2019. Mr. Lombardo has aligned himself with the president but at times has also distanced himself. (Mr. Lombardo, too, won his party’s nomination on Tuesday.)
During the primary, Mr. Flippo accused Mr. Settelmeyer of being insufficiently conservative. Several MAGA-aligned Republicans threw their support behind Mr. Flippo, including Turning Point Action, a conservative group; Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer; and Greg Bovino, the former Border Patrol leader.
The district where Mr. Flippo is running is a heavily conservative area that encompasses Carson City and Reno, as well as the sparsely populated northern and eastern parts of Nevada. It is the only solidly Republican House district in the battleground state, making Mr. Flippo a strong favorite in November.
He will face off in the general election against former state representative Teresa Benitez-Thompson, the winner of the Democratic primary, according to The Associated Press.
