Mark Amodei

David Flippo got a one-year lease in April for a home in Reno.

He says he wouldn't have moved here to run for CD2 if a strong Trump Republican with the funds to take on James Settelmeyer had entered the race.

Settelmeyer said he has jars of mayo in his fridge that have been in Northern Nevada longer than Flippo.

David Flippo says he lives in Reno — and that simple claim has become an issue in the primary race to represent Nevada’s upper half in the U.S. House.

Flippo’s opponents have hammered him about his relatively recent move from Las Vegas.

A retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, Flippo faces rancher and longtime Northern Nevada legislator James Settelmeyer in the Republican primary. They are considered the two frontrunners among 13 Republicans on the ballot.

The Republican primary will likely decide who goes to Washington, D.C. Nevada’s Second Congressional District was constructed to be heavily Republican so that Democrats could lay claim to the state’s three other House seats down south.

Eleven Democrats are running in their own primary for CD2 and hope to flip the seat that's always been held by a Republican. Rep. Mark Amodei has held the seat since 2011.

The primary is June 9.

Is it legal to run for U.S. House in a district where you don’t live?

“Can you please tell me how David Flippo is allowed to run for District 2 congressional seat when he’s from Las Vegas and was initially and very recently running for a congressional seat in Vegas?” a reader wrote. “This seems completely illegal.”

That’s incorrect. The U.S. Constitution says you need only to live in the state where you’re running — and then, not even until you're elected.

“No Person shall be a Representative who shall not … when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen,” Article 1 of the Constitution says.

It says nothing about living in the district.

How long has David Flippo lived in Nevada?

Flippo moved to Las Vegas about 12 years ago when his son moved here, according to Woodrow Johnston with Flippo’s campaign.

When did Flippo move to Reno?

After Amodei announced his retirement in February, Johnston said Flippo moved to Reno in late February or early March.

“He immediately got a short-term rental similar to an Airbnb and then he signed a one-year lease,” Johnston said.

The short-term rental was for Flippo and his campaign staff, Johnston added.

The longer-term lease for a separate house that would be Flippo’s home didn’t start until April, he said. It’s in the Caughlin Ranch area.

“He’s registered to vote in Washoe County,” Johnston said of Flippo. “He will be able to vote for himself. He has a driver’s license at that (Reno) address. All his mail goes there. He sleeps there every night. I know because I'm at his house every day working on the campaign with him.”

Why did Flippo leave Las Vegas to run for House seat in Northern Nevada?

Flippo wouldn't have come north to run for Amodei’s seat if a strong Trump Republican had entered the race, Johnston said.

“If someone like Sam Brown or Joey Gilbert were looking at it, we wouldn't have run,” he said. “Because Amodei waited until the last possible moment (to announce his retirement) — I think on purpose — we felt we were the only conservative in the state who was willing and had the resources to challenge Settelmeyer.”

Flippo has called Settelmeyer a RINO, a Republican in name only, who isn’t far enough right.

Last week, President Donald Trump endorsed Flippo. Turning Point Action, founded by Charlie Kirk, also endorsed him.

What does Flippo say to people who think he doesn’t know Northern Nevada?

Critics have attacked Flippo for wanting to represent a place he has little experience with.

“You're not from here, you don’t know the issues from here,” fellow CD2 Republican candidate Fred Simon Jr. told Flippo during a forum in Reno. “Go back, carpetbagger.”

Johnston noted that when Amodei was first elected, the congressional district included parts of Las Vegas before it was redrawn.

Asked about how Flippo can understand Northern Nevada’s unique issues if he’s such a recent resident, Johnston said, “He has experience in mining. He has experience in farming — one of his first jobs was working on his father’s ranch (in Virginia) when his father left the military. He understands rural Nevada's needs more than a lot of people.”

For Johnston, it comes down to whether a voter thinks it’s more important how long someone has lived in the district or whether the candidate aligns with their values.

“I would say that the various liberal things James Settelmeyer has voted for are not in line with Northern Nevada values,” Johnston said.

Settelmeyer’s perspective on Flippo’s move to Reno

Settelmeyer touts his long history in the Silver State.

“I have jars of mayonnaise in the back of my refrigerator that have been in Northern Nevada longer than David Flippo,” he told the RGJ by email. “My family has lived on the same ranch land in Northern Nevada for more than 125 years.”

Amodei, Gov. Joe Lombardo, the National Rifle Association, the Nevada Firearms Coalition, National Right to Life, Nevada Right to Life and many law enforcement organizations across the state have endorsed Settelmeyer — “because they know my record, my experience and my commitment to this district,” he said.

These organizations and leaders would not have given their support if Flippo’s accusations were true that he’s a RINO, Settelmeyer said.

“His campaign is trying to mislead voters because they cannot change the fact that I have spent decades living these issues, representing these communities and earning the trust of Northern Nevada,” he said.

“Voters should consider whether a candidate actually knows this district, understands its people and has a real record of serving this state."