Lee's latest ad buy kicks off with spot targeting O'Donnell's support for Trump

The Nevada Independent · Tabitha Mueller · September 4, 2026

Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) is launching a new seven-figure ad buy across cable television, YouTube and streaming, with the first ad airing Friday morning.

The 30-second advertisement criticizes Lee's Republican opponent, Marty O'Donnell, who it says "only moved here five years ago" and who "supports [President Donald] Trump's costly Iran war" and "the expensive tariffs" Trump has put in place.

It concludes with a call to action to back Susie Lee, who, the ad emphasizes, does not support the war and wants to stop the tariffs.

The seven-figure ad buy brings Democratic spending in the race to more than $6.3 million this election cycle as of Thursday afternoon, per AdImpact records. Those records also show O'Donnell has spent about $4.1 million.

As for the claims made in the recently launched ad? Reporting from The Nevada Independent shows that O'Donnell responded to a survey question saying he "mostly" believes that America's ongoing war in Iran is worth the costs and has previously said he would vote to authorize the war.

"President Trump is ending a forever war that was started under [President] Jimmy Carter," he wrote in The Indy survey . "Iran can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and I applaud the President for taking the steps necessary to prevent that."

In the same survey, O'Donnell also indicated he mostly does not believe that Trump's tariffs have harmed Nevada and has previously said on social media that he " fully support[s]" the president's trade policy.

"President Trump uses tariffs as a form of diplomacy to level the playing field on trade or to protect our national security," O'Donnell wrote. "While there may have been a short time of less-than-ideal circumstances, in the long run, his trade policies will bring jobs back to our country, help American businesses thrive overseas, and protect us here at home."

Records show O'Donnell moved to Las Vegas in 2021 and first ran for Congress in 2024. When he announced his 2026 campaign last year, he said he would drop out if he did not receive Trump's endorsement.

In April, O'Donnell received endorsements from Trump and Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and handily won the Republican primary for the seat in June.

Democrats are expected to perform well in November given poor polling surrounding Trump, and Lee has won re-election in years that seemed less favorable. The Cook Political Report rates her seat "Lean D," though it is the most competitive seat in Nevada. National strategists are watching the district closely as they monitor seats that could determine party control of the House.

Read the full story at The Nevada Independent