Three Republicans vie for chance to beat Horsford in CD4

Three Republicans are vying for the chance to compete against 4th Congressional District incumbent U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford in a midterm election where Republican candidates are saddled with voter frustration over the cost of living and the war with Iran. 

Hoping to win the June 9 primary and advance to the general election are small business owner and rancher Cody Whipple, licensed attorney Ronda Kennedy, and pharmacy technician Anthony Snowden.

Horsford won the Southern Nevada seat in 2012, becoming the district’s first representative following the 2010 Census. He lost his re-election bid in 2014 but reclaimed the seat in 2018 and has held it ever since. 

Republicans could face an uphill battle to win the seat in the midterms. Democrats outnumber Republicans in active registered voters in the district by more than 20,000, and the Cook Political Report rates the race as “likely D.”

Horsford defeated his Republican opponent, former North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, by 8% in 2024, outperforming his Southern Nevada Democratic House colleagues. 

Still, the National Republican Congressional Committee listed the seat as a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans to grow their House majority — along with Nevada’s two other Democratically held House seats. Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by just two points in 2024. However, Horsford outperformed the vice president by 5%.

Unlike those other two Nevada Democratic House seats, President Donald Trump and his fellow Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo have yet to endorse any candidate in CD4.

Whether the seat becomes a higher priority for the Republican party heading into the November midterm elections remains to be seen.

Candidate loans

Whichever Republican candidate moves on to the  general will have to contend with a Democratic incumbent who raised $2.6 million in the 2026 election cycle as of March 31, and reported$1.1 million in cash on hand.

Whipple leads the pack, having raised $623,000 as of March 31, $300,000 of which being a loan he made to his campaign. He ended the first quarter fundraising period with more than $373,400 in cash on hand.

Kennedy reported loaning $350,000 to her campaign, and did not receive any contributions from individual donors or committee contributions as of March 31. She ended the period with more than $340,000 cash on hand, following limited expenditures. 

Snowden did not file with the FEC, which is not required for candidates with under $5,000 in contributions. 

Endorsements and criticisms

Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel David Flippo had also planned to run for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, before the retirement of Rep. Mark Amodei lured him to switch his candidacy to Nevada’s open 2nd Congressional District seat. 

Before Flippo dropped his candidacy, the Nye County Republican Central Committee endorsed Flippo as its preferred Republican candidate. During that time, the committee also adopted a resolution calling on Whipple to withdraw from the race, citing concerns over voter residency and election integrity.

The committee accused Whipple of falsifying a voter registration application, pointing to Whipple listing a Summerlin address as his primary residence before changing it shortly before launching his congressional campaign. The committee said the action “exposes the Republican Party to credible accusations of voter fraud” and called on him “to immediately withdraw his candidacy.”

“That was basically an attack by David Flippo and his team, nothing more,” said Whipple in a brief call, pointing to past controversies with committee leadership.

After Flippo dropped his candidacy, the Nye County Republican Central Committee switched their endorsement to Kennedy, who has also received the support of the Lyon County Republican Central Committee, Esmeralda County Republican Party, and the Lincoln County Republican Party.

Not all Republicans agree with the Nye County Republican Central Committee’s assessment. Nevada’s Republican Lieutenant Gov. Stavros Anthony endorsed Whipple. Whipple was also endorsed by several state legislators, including Nevada GOP Floor Leader Assemblyman Gregory Hafen, State Senator Jeff Stone, and State Assemblyman Bert Gurr. 

Additionally, Whipple has been endorsed by the Mesquite Nevada Conservatives,Veterans in Politics, the Nevada Veterans Association, and Hispanics in Politics. 

Veterans in Politics have been critical of Kennedy, uploading a video highlighting that in 2024 the Supreme Court of California suspended her attorney’s licence for multiple acts of professional misconduct.

Kennedy said she believes the suspension of her licence was done in retaliation for challenging California’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates for first responders and teachers. 

“I never had any problems until then,” Kennedy said. “I was witch hunted for four years in the same state where lawyers were afraid to even take COVID cases or do anything like that.”

Kennedy called Veterans In Politics President Steve Sanson “a bully,” and said she believes his criticism of her stems from the 2024 Republican U.S. Senate primary race, where Kennedy competed against Sanson’s co-host Stephanie Phillips. Both finished well behind the primary winner, Sam Brown. Kennedy won roughly 1.1% of the statewide vote in that race.

“If he (Sanson) doesn’t get his way, he bullies everyone, he bullies people who don’t agree with him. And because I have the audacity to run against Stephanie Phillips in 2024 I have been their enemy number one,” Kennedy said.

Snowden has not received any endorsements. 

The candidates

Whipple is a fourth-generation Nevadan and rancher. He operates Whipple Ranch, a family-owned cattle ranch in Hiko, Nevada within Lincoln County’s Pahranagat Valley. He attended Virginia Tech on a football scholarship, where he graduated with a degree in animal science.

Whipple’s campaign website is light on policy positions and priorities, but in a press release, Whipple said his campaign is centered on lowering cost of living, supporting small businesses, strengthening the border, and ensuring parental control in education. 

In a press release, Whipple said he would prioritize ensuring healthcare facilities in rural areas remain open and sufficiently funded. In the release he also said he supports expanding specialized care in Nevada and recruiting healthcare professionals to underserved communities.

Whipple’s campaign did not follow up on a request for an interview.

Kennedy received her Juris Doctor degree from the American Heritage University School of Law, an unaccredited online law school. After passing the California Bar exam in 2015, she started her own law practice and worked as the dean of her alma mater.

Kennedy represented individuals who participated in the January 6 insurrection pro bono, and said she believes they were overcharged. In 2022, Kennedy was on a team of lawyers that won a lawsuit in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that affirmed the closure of gun stores during the COVID-19 lockdown was unconstitutional.

If elected, Kennedy said her priorities would be lowering the cost of living and advancing Trump’s America First agenda.

Part of that agenda is supporting Trump’s tariffs to protect American manufacturing. Kennedy said she also supports creating long-term leases that open public land to manufacturing as a way to boost the economy and manufacturing. 

When it comes to raising food and fuel costs following the war in Iran, Kennedy said California regulations and transportation costs are contributing to costs. She advocated for the use of the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate transportation in California.

On housing, Kennedy said she’d like to overhaul Federal Housing Administration loans to include rental history when determining eligibility rather than credit score alone in order to increase homeownership. 

Kennedy said she is pro-life, but supports exceptions in cases where the mother’s life is in danger and in cases of rape and incest. Asked if she would support a national abortion ban, Kennedy said she believes that authority belongs with the states. 

Kennedy called for the elimination of the Affordable Care Act. She  said Congress should focus on stronger regulations against insurance companies instead, arguing that insurance companies drive up healthcare costs.

Snowden, the pharmacy technician, said if elected, his top priority would be ending government fraud, waste, and abuse. Snowden said he believes Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in West Las Vegas has been misused and should be audited. 

Snowden said he supports the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) which would require voters to present proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote in federal elections.

Snowden said he supports a national abortion ban, and praised the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, a landmark case that ruled access to abortion a constitutional right. 

On healthcare, Snowden said he supports overturning the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. 

When it comes to tariffs, Snowden said he believes the president has unilateral authority to impose tariffs and said the current rise in inflation is the result of the Biden administration’s economic policies. 

Snowden said he supports the sale of public lands, but emphasized the need to vet sales to ensure they are not sold to foreign interests, like China.