Rep. Mark Amodei, the sole Republican in Nevada's U.S. House delegation, announced on Friday that he will not seek reelection to his Reno-based district.
“After 15 years of service, I believe it is the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch," Amodei said in a statement.
He becomes the 31st House Republican to resign or announce they will not seek reelection to their congressional seat either because they are running for another office or leaving elected life altogether. That makes him part of what's been a steady stream of rats fleeing the GOP's sinking midterm ship.
Now, two Republicans have announced their retirements this week. Amodei's Friday announcement was preceded on Tuesday by a retirement from Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who represents a heavily Republican seat in Georgia.
Amodei, for his part, will leave vacant a district that President Donald Trump carried by 14 percentage points in 2024, according to data from The Downballot. That makes it a challenging pick-up opportunity for Democrats. Still, in wave-election years, a seat like this can lead to surprising outcomes—especially when it's an open seat, with no incumbent advantage.
Inside Elections’ Nathan Gonzales wrote in a post on X that the district had a “baseline of R+12.6,” meaning that is what the expected election outcome would be between a typical Republican and a typical Democrat running for the seat.
Democrats, however, say the barrage of Republican retirements is a sign Republicans know they will return in the minority next year—because they have no desire to be part of it.
“Republicans are doomed in November, and they know it," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Justin Chermol said in a statement on Thursday. "The tide is rapidly turning as these corrupt GOP politicians turn their backs on the people they are expected to serve, instead working exclusively for the wealthy and well-connected.”
Indeed, with Trump's awful approval rating, Democrats' chances at winning a majority have been increasing.
Special election results have also sent chills down Republicans' spines. Democrats are regularly overperforming former Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 margins and have even flipped seats long held by Republicans.
Axios reported on Friday that Republican insiders are growing concerned that they will not only lose control of the House but also the Senate. Insider polling reportedly shows Democrats in striking distance in Senate contests in Texas, Alaska, and even Ohio.
"A year ago, I would have told you we were almost guaranteed to win the Senate," said an unnamed Republican operative whom Axios reported has seen internal GOP polling. "Today, I would have to tell you it's far less certain."
No wonder Republicans are jumping ship.
