Update 10:45 a.m. Wednesday:
With nearly a 19,000 vote lead mid-morning on Wednesday, Teresa Benitez-Thompson declared victory over Republican David Flippo in the race to represent Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District.
“I am honored that Northern Nevadans have placed their trust in me to represent our home in Congress,” she said in a statement. “Our region faces unique challenges that only someone with deep local roots and a genuine commitment to our communities can tackle. In Congress, I will fight every single day to protect our wallets, our water, and our way of life.
“As your representative, I promise to fight for all of us – regardless of political party. Our communities deserve nothing less.”
“Northern Nevada has spoken. Now, let’s get to work.”
Benitez-Thompson would be the first Democrat to be elected if the vote holds.
District 2 represents Washoe, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Pershing, Storey and White Pine counties, along with Carson City.
There are still outstanding ballots in all of those counties. In Nevada, for mail-in ballots to count, they had to be postmarked by election day.
Polls closed at 7 p.m., but long lines in Washoe and Clark counties caused the first wave of results to be released after midnight. The Nevada Secretary of State doesn’t allow the release of results until the last person has voted.
Original story:
In the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson has a 19,000-vote lead in the sprawling rural second congressional district.
Benitez-Thompson has 144,014 votes to Republican David Flippo’s 125,031. She has 50.75% of the vote to the small business owner’s 44%.
Carson City’s Amodei, who has served as District 2’s representative since 2011, announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election.
Benitez-Thompson’s lead may be insurmountable. If she were to win, she would become the first Democrat to win Nevada’s District 2.
District 2 represents Washoe, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Pershing, Storey and White Pine counties, along with Carson City.
Polls closed at 7 p.m., but long lines in Washoe and Clark counties caused the first wave of results to be released after midnight. The Nevada Secretary of State doesn’t allow the release of results until the last person has voted.
Benitez-Thompson is a social worker and former Assembly majority leader from Reno.
