Former State Senator James Settelmeyer Enters NV-02 Race With Record That Could Alienate Conservative Voters

March 6, 2026

By Andrew Smith

Today, former Nevada State Senator James Settelmeyer entered the Republican primary for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District with a legislative record in Carson City that is likely to trigger serious backlash from conservative voters across the district.

Settelmeyer, a rancher from Gardnerville who spent years in the Nevada Legislature, is expected to campaign on his local roots and familiarity with rural issues. Yet a review of his voting record shows repeated support for legislation that conservatives have long fought against, including votes tied to the Equal Rights Amendment, DEI initiatives, Obamacare style mandates, and increased funding for Planned Parenthood.

One of the most controversial votes came when Settelmeyer supported Nevada’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Conservatives have opposed the ERA for decades because of the sweeping legal consequences it could carry. Legal analysts have argued the amendment could effectively create a nationwide pro choice constitutional mandate by allowing courts to strike down abortion restrictions as sex based discrimination. The amendment could also require women to be included in the Selective Service draft and expand federal court authority over gender identity policy, sex segregated programs, and marriage law.

For many conservatives, the ERA is not simply a symbolic equality measure. It represents a vehicle for major cultural and legal changes through the courts. Settelmeyer voted for it.

His record also includes support for Senate Bill 267, legislation widely criticized by conservatives as advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy inside state government. The bill required state agencies to conduct studies and policies focused on race and gender representation in the workforce. Opponents argued the measure laid the groundwork for race based and gender based hiring quotas driven by government bureaucracy rather than merit.

Settelmeyer also voted for Assembly Bill 168, a bill that limited disciplinary authority in schools. Critics warned at the time that the legislation would make it harder for teachers and administrators to maintain order in classrooms.

Across Nevada and the country, schools have struggled with rising violence and disruptive behavior in recent years. Teachers’ groups and school officials have repeatedly raised concerns that disciplinary restrictions leave educators with fewer tools to deal with serious misconduct. AB168 moved Nevada further in that direction, and Settelmeyer supported it.

Healthcare policy provides another major point of conflict with conservative voters.

Settelmeyer voted for Assembly Bill 170, legislation designed to preserve key insurance mandates tied to the Affordable Care Act. In plain terms, he voted to maintain elements of Obamacare in Nevada law. For Republican voters who spent years opposing federal healthcare mandates, that vote is likely to draw intense scrutiny.

On abortion policy, Settelmeyer also voted for Senate Bill 94, which increased state funding for family planning services that include abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Fiscal policy tells a similar story.

Settelmeyer supported Senate Bill 1, the legislation that committed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to the Las Vegas Raiders stadium project. The deal remains one of the largest corporate subsidy packages in Nevada history.

He also voted for Assembly Bill 1, which created major state incentives tied to the Faraday Future electric vehicle project. That venture later collapsed, leaving critics to cite it as a cautionary example of government backed corporate subsidies gone wrong.

Settelmeyer further broke with many conservatives by supporting Senate Bill 406, which expanded prevailing wage mandates on construction projects, a policy that unions support but free market advocates argue inflates the cost of public infrastructure.

Taken together, the record paints the picture of a Republican lawmaker who frequently sided with legislation more commonly associated with Democratic priorities.

That reality could present a serious problem in a Republican primary electorate that has moved sharply toward America First conservatism in recent years.

For voters in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, the emerging primary field may present a clear contrast.

On one side are candidates such as Air Force Lt. Colonel David Flippo, who critics have attacked for lacking deep local ties to parts of the district but who is campaigning as an unapologetic conservative aligned with the America First movement.

On the other side are longtime Nevada political figures such as Settelmeyer, whose supporters emphasize local roots and experience but whose voting record includes support for policies many Republican voters strongly oppose.

For primary voters across northern Nevada and the rural counties, the choice may ultimately come down to a fundamental question.

Is it more important to elect a candidate who has lived locally for decades, or one whose record consistently reflects conservative principles?

That question may define the race for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District as the primary campaign begins to take shape.