NEW: Trump Makes Endorsement In Closely-Watched Congressional Race

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is endorsing Marty O’Donnell, a Republican candidate for Nevada’s tightly-contested 3rd congressional district, which grades as one of the most competitive districts in the country. O’Donnell is best known for composing the critically-acclaimed soundtrack for the classic Halo video game series.

“Marty O’Donnell is a World-Class Composer and Entrepreneur who knows the America First Policies required to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote NO TAX ON TIPS, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age,” President Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Marty O’Donnell has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.”

O’Donnell, a Republican, previously ran in the 2024 GOP primary for the same district, when he finished in fourth with about 21 percent of the vote. He has stated that he would withdraw from the 2026 race if he did not receive Trump’s endorsement but has proceeded after receiving it.

The Republican hopeful has also received a coveted endorsement from Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, a Republican.

🚨 I am truly honored to have the support of President Donald J. Trump!

The stakes this midterm could not be higher. That's why when I started running, I promised I would drop out unless President Trump supported me so that Republicans could avoid wasting resources on a needless… pic.twitter.com/AMmzZpjCw4

— Marty O'Donnell (@MartyTheElder) April 14, 2026

O’Donnell is widely recognized for his work on the Halo video game series — one of the most popular Xbox exclusive titles — as well as the companion series Destiny.

His early career included founding a commercial music and sound production company in Chicago. He later served as audio director and composer at Bungie, contributing to titles such as the Myth series, Oni, and multiple Halo games. His final project with Bungie was Destiny, which included a collaboration with Paul McCartney

O’Donnell is running for the Republican nomination in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes southwestern Las Vegas suburbs and extends to the southern part of the state. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+1, making it one of the most competitive districts in the upcoming midterm elections.

The district is currently represented by Rep. Susie Lee, a Democrat, who was re-elected in 2024 despite overall solid GOP performance nationwide. Republicans will be hoping that positive voter registration trends in recent months will prove beneficial, as Republicans recently opened a lead over registered Democrats for the first time in more than a decade.

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