News
Lawmaker. Social worker. Pageant queen. Is Congress next for Teresa Benitez-Thompson?
Meet the longtime lawmaker from Reno who thinks 2026 is Democrats best chance to flip Nevada’s only GOP-held congressional seat.
“After becoming majority leader — the second-highest ranking role in the Assembly — six years into her tenure, Benitez-Thompson implemented a policy that the Democratic and Republican caucuses could not lunch separately. She said they had productive conversations while they ate.”
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Campaign Press Releases
NEWS: Teresa Benitez-Thompson Leads in Fundraising, Cash On Hand
Reno, Nevada – (Thursday, July 16) Today, Teresa Benitez-Thompson’s campaign announced that it was significantly ahead in campaign funding. After comparing FEC reports, Elect Teresa has more cash on hand and raised more funding from individual contributors than Las Vegas resident David Flippo. Notably, Flippo’s campaign owes approximately $1,500,000 more than it has in the bank.
Teresa Benitez-Thompson Announces Fundraising Number, Discusses Recent Poll Showing Her Leading Race for Congress and National Media Coverage of This Bellwether Race
Reno, Nevada – (Wednesday, July 15) Today, the Elect Teresa campaign released its fundraising numbers for the second quarter, and commented on an independent poll released Monday showing Benitez-Thompson leading Las Vegas resident David Flippo in the race for Northern Nevada’s Congressional District (NV-02). National News Outlet Daily Kos covered the poll, noting it as a sign that outgoing Congressman Mark Amodei was right when he said that Teresa Benitez-Thompson could beat David Flippo.
Teresa Benitez-Thompson Kicks of General Election Campaign with Public Land Cleanup Volunteer Event
Reno, Nevada – (Wednesday, June 24) Today, Teresa Benitez-Thompson’s campaign kicked off the General Election with a volunteer cleanup on BLM land in Sparks. “Our public lands are a vital part of every community across Northern Nevada,” Benitez-Thompson said.
Teresa Benitez-Thompson Recaps Veterans Roundtable Discussion Kickoff, Announces Major Endorsement
Reno, Nevada – (Monday, June 8) Yesterday afternoon, Teresa Benitez-Thompson held the first of an anticipated series of roundtable discussions with veterans of the armed forces and military families. Participating in the event with Teresa were six veterans, ranging in rank from Corporal to Lt. Colonel, and three spouses. “Veterans and their families need to be heard, and today I was glad to do a lot of listening,” Teresa said.
News
Congressional candidates react to Trump signature law’s impact on Northern Nevada
KOLO 8 News – The Big Beautiful Bill made sweeping changes to several policy fronts. “All this means is a strain on our healthcare system for all of us,” Teresa Benitez-Thompson said. “We have over 100,000 Nevadans who have seen their ACA market premiums increase by $800, that’s a lot of money.”
Watch Teresa Benitez-Thompson tell how she views her US House race
Teresa Benitez-Thompson says her opponent David Flippo in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District race is going to run a fear-based campaign.
VOTERS DECIDE: David Flippo, Teresa Benitez-Thompson advance to November
2 News Nevada – Republican David Flippo will face Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson for Nevada’s Congressional District 2 seat in November.
Teresa Benitez-Thompson wins crowded Dem primary for Nevada House seat
Politico – “Former Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson won the Democratic primary for the state’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, giving the party a serious candidate in its attempt to flip the red seat.”
Flippo, Benitez-Thompson to face off in November
FROM The Center Square, “Eureka County Sheriff Jesse Watts accused Flippo of using campaign funds to rent a personal home in Reno. Filings with the Federal Elections Commission show Flippo’s campaign made three separate payments to a real-estate company over a period of three months for ‘rent.'”
Lawmaker. Social worker. Pageant queen. Is Congress next for Teresa Benitez-Thompson?
Meet the longtime lawmaker from Reno who thinks 2026 is Democrats best chance to flip Nevada’s only GOP-held congressional seat. “After becoming majority leader — the second-highest ranking role in the Assembly — six years into her tenure, Benitez-Thompson implemented a policy that the Democratic and Republican caucuses could not lunch separately. She said they had productive conversations while they ate.”
Bill provides mechanism for removing local officials for sexual misconduct
The Nevada Independent – Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson, who presented the bill to the Committee on Government Affairs, said the proposed legislation would help hold publicly elected officials accountable, especially at the local level. In addition to applying to state officials, the bill provides a mechanism for removing local elected officials, such as county commissioners and sheriffs.
10 to watch in 2017: Assembly Majority Leader Teresa-Benitez Thompson
Reno Gazette Journal – As the Assembly majority leader in the Democratic-controlled 2017 Legislature, Benitez-Thompson is in a unique position to keep Northern issues at the forefront of government over the next two years. Most important to her, though, is bringing a higher level of discourse to the Legislature than what she saw in 2015.
Our view: Benitez-Thompson for Nevada Assembly District 27
RGJ – She is well-informed on a broad range of issues – from the Lake Tahoe regional compact to the state’s Medicaid role – and looks at outcomes to measure success. She does not simply mention topics that need addressing but comfortably drills down in a way that makes those topics understandable, such as the way “medically fragile” seniors face an eight-month waitlist for receiving help.
For Teresa Benitez-Thompson, race is no barrier to love
USA Today – Teresa Benitez-Thompson, 36, is a mother of four, a social worker at a private hospice company and a Nevada state lawmaker. She was born in Ventura, Calif., where her white mother met her Mexican father. In the 1980s, Benitez-Thompson moved with her mother and sisters to Reno, where she was raised by her maternal grandparents.