Q&A with Republicans running for Nevada's CD2 US House seat
- May 29
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 6
Reno Gazette Journal
Updated May 14, 2026, 7:05 a.m. PT
After Republican Mark Amodei abruptly announced his retirement earlier this year from representing Northern Nevada in Congress, 25 candidates jumped into the breach hoping to replace him.
Thirteen are Republicans. They are Jennifer Billat, Tom Doyle, David Flippo, George Forbush, Bruce Grego, Andrea Lowe, Jerry Olsen, James Settelmeyer, Rick Shepherd, Fred Simon Jr., Mike Smith, Sherman Tylawsky and Jesse Watts.
Nevada’s Second Congressional District features 80,000 more Republican voters than Democrats, and the seat has never been held by another party. The Cook Political Report, a national election forecaster, lists the seat as "Solid R," meaning it doesn't think there's any chance a Republican won't win.
Even so, 11 Democrats will compete in their own primary for the seat. The top Republican and Democratic primary vote-getters will move ahead to November's general election.
Independent American candidate Lynn Chapman will be on November ballot but not June’s primary.
• Where is Nevada’s Second Congressional District: Anchored by the urban centers of Reno, Sparks and Carson City, the district is the state’s largest one geographically. It includes all of Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Pershing, Storey, Washoe and White Pine counties, along with Carson City and most of Lyon County.
• What does U.S. House seat pay: $174,000 a year.
• When is the primary: Primary Day is June 9. Early voting runs May 23 through June 5. Mail-in primary ballots will be sent out between May 11 and 18 for residents inside the state of Nevada.
• About the CD2 Republican candidates not interviewed: The Reno Gazette Journal did not include one candidate who had no campaign website, two who did not respond to interview requests and one who missed a scheduled interview.
Who is Sherman Tylawsky running for Nevada’s CD2 U.S. House seat in 2026 Republican primary?
Top 3 issues: fiscal responsibility, economic uncertainty, national security
Primary residence: Carson City
Age: 28
Education: bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from King’s College London, master’s in international affairs at Texas A&M University, master’s in political science at University of Alabama
Occupation: Political science lecturer
Political experience: first-time candidate, congressional intern in U.S. House of Representatives
Family: Single
Contributions: No federal financial filing.
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