Benitez-Thompson declares victory over Flippo

With a lead of nearly 19,000 votes, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson declared victory on Wednesday over Republican David Flippo in the race to represent Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District. The Tahoe Daily Tribune reported that Benitez-Thompson, a social worker and former Assembly majority leader from Reno, secured 144,014 votes, compared to Flippo’s 125,031 votes.

Benitez-Thompson Declares Victory

“I am honored that Northern Nevadans have placed their trust in me to represent our home in Congress,” Benitez-Thompson 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. She added, As your representative, I promise to fight for all of us – regardless of political party. Our communities deserve nothing less.

Outstanding Ballots Remain

The race is to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, who has served as the district’s representative since 2011. Benitez-Thompson’s lead may be insurmountable. Should the final tally stand, she would be the first Democratic candidate to secure a win in Nevada’s District 2, a constituency that includes Washoe, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Pershing, Storey and White Pine counties, in addition to Carson City. Not all ballots in these jurisdictions have been counted yet. For mail-in ballots to be valid in Nevada, they needed to bear a postmark from election day. Although polls concluded at 7 p.m., lengthy queues in Washoe and Clark counties delayed the initial batch of results until after midnight, due to a Nevada Secretary of State regulation prohibiting the reporting of any outcomes until every voter has cast their ballot.