By Mark Robison, Reno Gazette Journal
Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei announced Friday he’s retiring from Congress.
He’s one of two dozen members of the House of Representatives to announce so far they will not be seeking reelection.
“Serving the people of Nevada has been the honor of my lifetime,” he said in a statement. “Nobody is prouder of our Nevada Congressional District than me. Thank you for the honor. Every achievement worth doing began with listening to Nevadans and fighting for our values.”
Amodei, 67, said he came to Congress to solve problems and to make sure the state had strong voice in federal policy and oversight processes.
“I look forward to finishing my term,” which ends Jan. 3, 2027, Amodei said. “After 15 years of service, I believe it is the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch.”
He is Nevada’s only Republican currently serving in the U.S. Congress. Amodei has served Congressional District 2 representing Nevada’s top half since 2011.
Ten candidates have so far announced they seek his seat.
Reactions to Rep. Amodei’s retirement
Bruce Parks, chair of the Washoe County Republican Party, said Amodei’s announcement came as a surprise.
“We respect Mark’s decision and we appreciate his service to the state of Nevada and to this country for the time that he did serve in Congress,” he told the Reno Gazette Journal.
Amodei was always a strong supporter of the county party.
“If we had a significant event like our Lincoln Day dinner, Mark was always there,” Parks said. “There was never a time that I felt like I could not and I would not get a response. He was always accessible.
“He was just a regular guy who would have a conversation with you. It was nice.”
Brian Sandoval — former Nevada governor and current president of the University of Nevada, Reno — praised Amodei in a statement to the Reno Gazette Journal.
“Mark Amodei has been the model public servant,” Sandoval said. “He is a true Nevadan who has served the state effectively and with integrity, honor and a dash of humor. Nevadans will benefit from his leadership for generations to come.”
Gov. Joe Lombardo called Amodei an unwavering advocate for Northern Nevada.
“Throughout his tenure in the Nevada State Legislature and Washington, he worked tirelessly to represent Nevadans’ interests and advocate for our state,” Lombardo said in a statement. “I want to thank Congressman Amodei for his years of service to Nevada and for his faithful partnership with my office. On behalf of all Nevadans, I wish him and his family the very best in his well-earned retirement.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen said she liked working with Amodei.
“From the U.S. Army to the Nevada State Legislature to U.S. Congress, Rep. Amodei has dedicated his life to serving Nevada and our nation,” she said in a statement. “While we come from different parties and different backgrounds, I’ve always been grateful to have been able to work across the aisle with him to put Nevada families first. Wishing him all the best in his next chapter.”
Who is seeking Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei’s seat in wake of retirement?
Amodei’s retirement throws open a seat that has long been a lock for him personally and Republicans generally.
His district spans the upper part of Nevada from Washoe County in the west to Elko in the east. About 36% of its registered voters are Republican and 23% Democrats. Nonpartisans make up 34% while the rest belong to minor parties.
His decision not to run for reelection will certainly bring more candidates into the race, especially on the Republican side.
For now, here’s a look at who has said they are running in Nevada’s Congressional District 2 race.
Republicans:
- Heath Fulkerson
- Rick Shepherd
Democrats:
- Kathy Durham
- Gamaliel “Gamy” Zavala Enriquez
- Matthew Fonken
- Heath Fulkerson
- Josh Hebert
- Mark Jolle
- Greg Kidd
- Morgan Wadsworth
- Samuel White
Who is Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei?
Amodei was born in 1958 in Carson City and received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1980 and a law degree in 1983 from University of the Pacific. He then served in the U.S. Army until 1987.
His main political biography in the state began in 1996 when he was elected to the Nevada Assembly. He jumped to the Nevada Senate and served from 1998 to 2010. In the meantime, he also did stints as chair of the Nevada Republican Party and president of the Nevada Mining Association.
In 2011, Amodei won a special election to replace Rep. Dean Heller, who was appointed to a U.S. Senate seat. Then he began a string of lopsided victories every two years to keep his seat in Congress.
In the 2016 election, Amodei served as Donald Trump’s campaign chairman in Nevada.
He won 55% of the vote against nonpartisan Greg Kidd in 2024, his seventh and now final term.
Here are U.S. House members retiring in 2026
Amodei is the 24th incumbent in the U.S. House of Representatives to announce retirement during the current term.
So far, 11 Republicans and 13 Democrats have said they would not seek reelection this November. Amodei is so far the only Nevada representative to do so.
- Feb. 6: Mark Amodei, Republican, Nevada CD-2
- Feb. 4: Barry Loudermilk, Republican, Georgia CD-11
- Jan. 27: Vern Buchanan, Republican, Florida CD-16
- Jan. 13: Neal Dunn, Republican, Florida CD-2
- Jan. 8: Julia Brownley, Democrat, California CD-26
- Jan. 7: Steny Hoyer, Democrat, Maryland CD-5
- Dec. 19: Elise Stefanik, Republican, New York CD-21
- Dec. 17: Dan Newhouse, Republican, Washington CD-4
- Dec. 15: Mark Veasey, Democrat, Texas CD-33
- Dec. 5: Lloyd Doggett, Democrat, Texas CD-37
- Nov. 29: Troy Nehls, Republican, Texas CD-22
- Nov. 20: Nydia Velazquez, Democrat, New York CD-7
- Nov. 11: Jodey Arrington, Republican, Texas CD-19
- Nov. 10: Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat, New Jersey CD-12
- Nov. 6: Nancy Pelosi, Democrat, California CD-11
- Nov. 5: Jesus Garcia, Democrat, Illinois CD-4
- Nov. 5: Jared Golden, Democrat, Maine CD-2
- Sept. 14: Michael McCaul, Republican, Texas CD-10
- Sept. 11: Morgan Luttrell, Republican, Texas CD-8
- Sept. 1: Jerry Nadler, Democrat, New York CD-12
- July 31: Danny K. Davis, Democrat, Illinois CD-7
- June 30: Don Bacon, Republican, Nebraska CD-2
- June 30: Dwight Evans, Democrat, Pennsylvania CD-3
- May 5: Jan Schakowsky, Democrat, Illinois CD-9
The number of announced retirements ahead of the 2026 election so far has lagged behind the past two cycles.
A total of 45 members of the House did not run for re-election in 2024; 39 had announced their retirements by the first week of February 2024. In 2022, during the last midterm elections, 49 House members announced that they would not run; 42 had made the announcement by the first week of February 2022.
The U.S. House has 435 voting members, and Nevada has four of those seats.
The RGJ’s Brett McGinness contributed to this story.
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
