Jeff Gunter, the former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland appointed by President Donald Trump, has officially filed to run for Congress in Nevada’s 3rd District, kicking off a bid to oust one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress.
As Ambassador to Iceland from 2019 to 2021, Gunter oversaw the completion of a new $69.9 million U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik and managed operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When he filed to challenge Rep. Susie Lee (D., Nev.), Gunter was joined by a group of supporters waving American flags and holding signs that read “Ambassador Gunter U.S. Congress — 100% Pro Trump Always.” Trump narrowly carried the district in 2024.
Gunter is campaigning as a “strong America First and MAGA conservative.” His priorities on the trail are likely to include a push for American energy independence, public safety, and support for veterans. Nevada political observers expect Gunter to draw on his experience as a physician and an American diplomat.
Although Gunter is a late entry relative to the crowded GOP field to take on Lee, he has endorsements from conservative commentator Wayne Allyn Root and Nevada State Sen. Jeff Stone; he also served on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC).
Gunter has experience; he was the runner up in the Nevada GOP’s primary in 2024 to challenge Sen. Jacky Rosen (D., Nev.), and he raised millions of dollars in that effort.
In part due to that statewide campaign experience, Gunter has a significant primary advantage with his name ID. One poll of 404 likely GOP primary voters, obtained by the Washington Reporter, found Gunter leading the field with near-majority support already.
Gunter had 44.6 percent support in the initial ballot test in the poll. Marty O’Donnell, a former GOP candidate in this district from 2024, came in second place with 8.6 percent, and the rest of the field hovered at or below five percent. A whopping 34.1 percent of likely GOP primary voters remain undecided ahead of the June primary.
In the poll, Gunter’s support among GOP primary voters grew to almost 70 percent after respondents were informed about his tenure as a Trump ambassador and his support from local and national conservatives.
Following his announcement, Gunter said that he is “honored to join so many grassroots supporters to officially file for Congress in Nevada’s 3rd District. Susie Lee has sided with the woke movement against Nevada’s families time and again. It’s time to fire Susie Lee.”
