Cardiologist primaries Lee, argues Trump era is ‘not the time’ for moderates

Since being elected by Nevadans in 2018, U.S. Rep. Susie Lee has prided herself on being a centrist who can reach across the aisle. This year, she faces a primary challenge from a Las Vegas cardiologist who feels centrism has enabled the Trump administration.

But Dr. James Lally wouldn’t call his run a challenge from the left.

“I agree with progressives on some stuff,” he said. “There’s some stuff I’m more centrist on. But I am 100% anti-establishment. I think Democrats need change from the top down.”

Lally is a cardiologist who has lived in Nevada since 2008. Originally from Philadelphia, he is a former Republican who voted for President Obama in 2012 because of the Affordable Care Act.

“I’m primarying her from below,” Lally said of Lee. “She represents corporate America and the billionaire class. That’s where she comes from. … I think most voters, you know, the bottom 99%, we’re tired of that, and we need to fight back against that.”

Lally believes it’s a message that appeals to Democrats who are frustrated with the antics of the Trump administration and the corporate takeover of industries (especially healthcare).

“It seems like the Democratic establishment is so out of touch with where their voters are,” he said, before adding that he thinks “there are going to be a lot of incumbents that lose” primaries this year.

Republicans hope this is finally the year they take back CD3

Lally prevailing over Lee in Nevada’s June 9 primary would be an upset few, if any, predicted.

“I don’t think it’s as slim as people make it out to be,” he said of his chances. “All you need is enough money to get your message out. And we have that.”

Lally said his campaign has raised $830,000, though $600,000 of that is a self-funded loan, according to his FEC filings.

For comparison, Lee has raised $3.5 million. Marty O’Donnell, the Trump-endorsed candidate and assumed frontrunner in CD3’s Republican primary, reported $3.2 million, $3 million of which is a self-funded loan.

On Israel and Gaza

Lally points to Israel and Gaza as a major example of Lee being out of touch. It’s also the catalyst for him jumping into politics as a candidate.

“I’m Irish American,” he said. “Ireland, the Irish people, we have deep sympathy for the plight of Palestinians. Ireland was colonized, harshly oppressed for hundreds of years by the English, much like the Palestinians are colonized and harshly oppressed now.”

Gaza is also why Lally decided to run for Congress rather than a local or statewide office.

“The Nevada Assembly is not the appropriate forum to be speaking about the genocide in Gaza,” he said. “The time to speak up about what’s going on in the West Bank and Gaza is now.”

Lally describes Lee as “bankrolled by AIPAC and the far right Israeli lobby,” which he sees as enabling genocide. Lee has taken more than $735,000 from the organization, according to the website Track AIPAC, far more than Nevada’s other three representatives have.

Lee defends the donations, saying she “takes donations from a variety of individuals who support my policies.”

“I take from people who support public lands, gun safety legislation, and AIPAC is a collection of U.S. citizens who donate to me because I support the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

She stands by that support, saying that “at a time of global instability, it’s more important than ever that the United States works with its allies to pursue shared security interests.”

But Lee adds that she has “time and again” called out humanitarian issues in Gaza: “I’ve called on Israel to allow food and medicine to reach the people of Gaza.”

She continued, “I’m just as comfortable standing up to members of my own government. I’m also comfortable standing up and calling out the Israeli government when their actions are inexcusable, and I’ve done that consistently.”

On standing up to Trump

Lee has been a vocal critic of Trump, particularly on the issue of healthcare and the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits that lowered premiums for Americans, an issue that led to a 43-day government shutdown last year. Lee was not one of the moderate Democrats to break with the party and vote with Republicans to reopen the government.

But Lally doesn’t think Lee has done enough to fight back against the Trump administration.

“This is an authoritarian call at this point,” said Lally. “Trump and MAGA and history has shown you cannot appease an authoritarian call. You need to stand up to them, and we need Dems in Congress that are going to do that.”

He points to Lee’s support of the Laken Riley Act, which many believe crippled due process and enabled the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics. 

Lee rejects that narrative.

“The fact of the matter is, this administration has basically not followed many laws, and there wasn’t a law on the books that was going to change their approach to immigration enforcement,” she said.

Lee in defense of her vote points to reports that judges have used the immigration law to release detainees: “We knew there were some problems with the language in the bill and that courts would take care of it, and that’s exactly what’s happened.”

Lally also criticizes Lee for voting for a House resolution honoring conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a Utah rally last year.

“His killing was horrible,” says Lally. “No one wants to see political violence. But he didn’t deserve to be honored by Congress. He was preaching hate.”

Lally sees the vote as emblematic of an approach to politics made for a different era.

“She keeps thinking, ‘If I play nice with MAGA, maybe they’ll change,’” he said. “They’re never going to change. We need to stand up and force them out.”

He continued. “I think at some point Trump and MAGA will be pushed aside, and the Republicans will go back to being a normal party that respects the Constitution, respects the other side. Then maybe we can go back to more bipartisan stuff, but that is not the time now.”

Lee says she and other Democrats have “fought back as much as we can” for a minority party who doesn’t get to set the agenda. She pointed to the numerous lawsuits filed by Democratic attorneys general, including Nevada’s Aaron Ford, and the increase in the number of bills Congressional Democrats have passed using the discharge petition.

And she says she remains committed to reaching across the aisle.

“I don’t think anyone wants to live in a country where you have to wait to get a trifecta in Washington to get something done,” said Lee. “I certainly don’t think you want to live in a country where, when the other party has the trifecta, they completely eliminate everything you’ve done. The only way to get sustainable results is through a bipartisan approach.”

Lee said that when Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before the defense appropriations committee, which she sits on, many of her Democratic colleagues wanted to attack him.

“I sat down and said, ‘What’s going to deliver the best result for my district?’”

Lee said she spoke to Hegseth about MP Materials, a Las Vegas-based company that operates a rare earth mine right over the California border.

“Several weeks later they announced a multi-billion deal where the Department of Defense invested in MP Materials,” said Lee. “This is bringing hundreds of jobs, investment into our community. That’s the type of work that I’m proud of doing and I’ll continue to do.”

She added, “I’m not going to change my approach. I think it’s the right approach. And I think that’s what Americans are craving.”