President Donald Trump is shifting into ‘midterms mode’ this week, and not a moment too soon.The president won’t be spending his time on states he’s already won and races he’s already safe. When Trump lands in Las Vegas Wednesday to deliver an economy-focused address, the selection of Nevada as a midterm launch pad tells you precisely where the Republican Party believes the 2026 map is moving.
Nevada went for Trump in 2024. That doesn’t mean Republicans can coast. Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is the only incumbent governor running in a Cook Political Report toss-up race this cycle — which means he’s also the only sitting Republican governor who could lose his job in November. His opponent is Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, and the race is genuinely competitive. A presidential visit focused on economic wins is the kind of boost Lombardo needs heading into the final stretch.
The House picture in Nevada is equally consequential. Rep. Susie Lee’s 3rd Congressional District — rated “Lean Democrat” by Cook — is exactly the kind of seat Republicans need to flip to maintain their majority. Lee has spent the summer attacking Trump’s tariffs as damaging to Las Vegas tourism. Her Republican opponent Marty O’Donnell is welcoming Trump’s visit specifically to contrast his economic record against Lee’s vote against the Working Families Tax Cuts.
That contrast is the right one to draw. Lee voted no on no tax on tips. She voted no on no tax on overtime. She voted no on the doubled child tax credit. She voted no on the $1,000 Trump Accounts for newborn citizens. And then she went on X to blame Trump for Las Vegas’s economic challenges — as if the woman who voted against the most consequential middle-class tax cut in decades has credibility lecturing anyone about protecting Nevada workers.