In the immortal words of One Direction: Does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the fundraising quarter changes?

Like clockwork, the Federal Election Commission first quarter fundraising deadline came this week, reminding elected officials (and tired journalists) that the 2026 cycle is officially underway.

Let’s break it down.

The News of the Week: FEC Q1

Here’s the leaderboard among elected officials in Q1:

• Rep. Susie Lee: $421,588
• Rep. Steven Horsford: $371,102
• Sen. Jacky Rosen: $255,374
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto: $200,977
• Rep. Dina Titus: $160,164
• Rep. Mark Amodei: $142,514

Before we get to challengers, it’s worth noting that about $30,000 of Lee’s money came from a refund from a media company. And neither Rosen nor Cortez Masto are running in 2026, meaning their fundraising is for future campaigns. Cortez Masto is up in 2028.

Here are a few challengers:

• Christopher Brandlin (NV-03): $140,529
• David Flippo (NV-04): $45,000 (entirely self-funded)
• Greg Kidd (NV-02): $1,538
• Marty O’Donnell (NV-03): $0

O’Donnell is putting $1 million of his own money into the race, but that won’t show up until next quarter’s report.

None of the Nevadans’ fundraising stood out — but these are early days, and if these races get more high-profile, you can expect more money to pour in. 

The top fundraisers in the first quarter were members who have high-profile races this cycle, such as Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and those who have become national figures for standing up to the Trump administration in the first few months, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Among her fellow Democrats in “Lean D” districts, Lee was in the middle of the pack with her total. For House Democrats in the “Likely Democrat” category, Horsford also fell somewhere in the middle. Titus, meanwhile, whose district is “Likely Democrat” but who is still considered a frontline member — meaning the Democratic Congressional Committee (DCCC) will direct funds toward her race — was near the bottom.

Among the 26 DCCC frontliners, Lee was 12th in fundraising; Horsford 16th and Titus dead last. 

That’s not unusual for Titus, whose fundraising totals typically kick up in the second half of the election year, when the DCCC gets more involved. All three House Democrats were below the average for frontliners: $505,893 (a figure driven by an outlier who raised more than $2 million, to be fair).

And in my favorite part of the FEC reports, here are a few spends that caught my eye:

• Going where the money is: Lee had an event in swanky Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she spent more than $1,900.
• Expensive old flag: The Amodei campaign spent $4,370 on flags.
• Gearing up: Though she’s not up until 2028, Cortez Masto is already paying eight people for campaign work.
• Post-win transfer: The Rosen campaign gave over $650,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in January.
• Picture worth two thousand words: He hasn’t filed to run again, but Greg Kidd spent $2,250 on photography in March.
• Passion for fashion: The Titus campaign spent $250 on “gifts for donors” from fashion retailer Talbots.
• Personal fave: A special shoutout to whichever Horsford campaign staffer spent $20 at Vesta Coffee, my favorite place to do work in Vegas.

Around the Capitol

⛏️Lombardo to Trump: Back off on lithium tariffs — Loyalty to mining has often superseded political affiliations in Nevada. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is continuing that tradition, asking a president of his own party to change his policy in defense of the lithium industry — particularly for companies that do processing and refining.

In his letter, Lombardo notes that manufacturing-grade lithium is only produced in China, and that offshoring the processing of Chinese lithium to Canada or Mexico threatens industry in Nevada.

This is now the second time that Lombardo has sent a critical missive to Republicans in Washington, after cautioning against cutting Medicaid — making it a trend worth watching.

☀️Heating and cooling calamity — Rosen joined a Senate Democrat letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling for the reinstatement of fired Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) staff, all of whom were fired recently.

LIHEAP provides heating and cooling assistance to low-income households during the winter and summer months; in Nevada, the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) received $15 million for the program for fiscal year 2025. In 2023, nearly 12,300 Nevada households were served by the program.

Senators are worried about states’ ability to use the federal funding if there are no program officers or staff to assist them with compliance; so far, DWSS says it has not experienced any delays or issues related to the lack of federal staff.

What I’m Reading

KRNV: Ballot Battleground: Nevada: Full interview with Sen. Jacky Rosen on tariffs, deportations

Good interview between Ben Margiott and Rosen, who talked extensively about the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and tariffs.

The Nevada Independent: Nevada judge blocks deportation of Venezuelan man under the Alien Enemies Act

This is the latest block of the Trump administration’s immigration policy.

The Associated Press: Trump administration plans to end the IRS Direct File program for free tax filing, AP sources say

Nevada was one of the states where the easy-to-use free filing program was piloted last tax season.

Notable and Quotable

“In this room especially, we are Nevadans first.”

— Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), with a rosy view on bipartisanship in the Legislature during her Thursday speech to legislators in Carson City (compared to Congress, she may be right)