Southern Nevada congressional candidates approach Q2 finance deadline with wide funding disparities

Southern Nevada congressional candidates approach Q2 finance deadline with wide funding disparities Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | 2 a.m. With the second‑quarter Federal Election Commission filing deadline approaching, pre‑primary financial disclosures for three Southern Nevada congressional races reveal a pattern of incumbent Democrats holding substantial cash reserves while Republican challengers contend with varying fundraising shortfalls ahead of the general election. In Nevada’s 1st, 3rd and 4th districts, the quarterly reports covering January 1, 2025 through May 20, 2026 provide the most detailed fiscal snapshot yet of contests that national analysts rate among the country’s most competitive House battlegrounds. The filings already outline the financial contours of each race. **1st District: Titus vs. Buck** Incumbent Democratic Representative Dina Titus and Republican Senator Carrie Buck present contrasting financial profiles heading into the November contest. Buck raised $1,358,573 in total receipts, narrowly exceeding Titus’s $1,253,003. However, spending patterns diverge sharply: Buck disbursed $824,001, more than triple Titus’s $311,402, leaving her with $534,571 cash on hand and $26,012 in debt. Titus, by contrast, reported $1,096,964 cash on hand and no outstanding debt. The sources of their funds highlight different coalitions. Buck drew $1,144,819 from individual contributors, representing over 84 % of her receipts and indicating a strong grassroots base. Titus collected $564,755 from individuals but supplemented that with $602,600 from political action committees and other committees—about half of her total receipts—reflecting the advantages of a long‑tenured incumbent. Both candidates secured decisive victories in the June 9 primary, with Titus capturing 76 % of the Democratic vote and Buck winning 78 % of the Republican vote. Buck’s campaign said it will examine raising $815,000 in the second quarter of 2026, signaling that her fundraising pace has not slowed since the primary. The two will face off on November 3, and today’s filings will indicate whether Buck’s fundraising can meaningfully close the cash‑on‑hand gap before the autumn campaign intensifies. **3rd District: Lee vs. O’Donnell** Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District exhibits the widest financial disparity among the three Southern Nevada races. Incumbent Democratic Representative Susie Lee holds a formidable war chest built from individual donations and PAC support, while Republican challenger Marty O’Donnell—a composer for the Halo video‑game franchise who won the June 9 Republican primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement—relies almost entirely on a $3 million personal loan to finance his bid. Lee amassed $3,862,399.29 in total receipts from January 1, 2025 through May 20. Individual donors contributed $2,512,043, split between $2,289,766.15 in itemized contributions and $222,276.85 in smaller grassroots donations. Political action committees and other committees added $1,133,938.33. Lee spent $1,018,875.88 during the period and entered the general election with $3,310,177.95 cash on hand and zero debt. O’Donnell’s FEC filings, which run through June 23, show $3,482,357.89 in total receipts, but $3 million of that amount is a personal loan from the candidate himself. Excluding the loan, he raised $256,613.90 in total contributions, with individuals accounting for $230,113.90. His campaign spent $1,156,189.50, leaving $2,326,168.39 cash on hand; the $3 million loan remains an outstanding debt owed by the committee. O’Donnell prevailed in a four‑way Republican primary with 42 % of the vote. His primary spending exceeded Lee’s—more than $1.15 million versus her $1.01 million—yet his donor base remains a fraction of hers. O’Donnell previously ran for the seat in 2024, finishing fourth in the Republican primary with 21 % of the vote before securing the 2026 nomination. Lee won 69 % of the Democratic primary. Today’s filings will reveal whether O’Donnell has expanded his fundraising beyond self‑financing since clinching the nomination and will update Lee’s financial standing through the end of June. Both