LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Congressional candidate Marty O’Donnell discussed the cost of living, the war in Iran, data centers, AI regulation, tourism, housing and immigration ahead of the general election.
Cost of living
O’Donnell said affordability remains the top concern he hears from voters. He said he believes one job should be enough for a person to support a family, buy a home and make decisions about their children’s education.
“It used to be that one good job was enough, and it could be that way again,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell said inflation reached 20% under the Biden administration and his opponent, Rep. Susie Lee, and said inflation this year is at 3.4%, or about 2.4% when energy costs are excluded. He said gas prices in Las Vegas are largely tied to supply from California and said he does not believe Democrats’ criticism of current costs is accurate.
War in Iran
O’Donnell, who said he supports President Trump and has received Trump’s endorsement, said he supports the administration’s actions regarding Iran. He described the conflict as originating 47 years ago and said he supports efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“I’m so happy that in my lifetime I could see a president with enough backbone and spine to fight against the Islamo-fascists,” O’Donnell said. He said he views the administration’s approach as “ending the forever war.”
Data centers and AI
O’Donnell said he previously worked in the technology industry, including in video games, and said his former company was a client of Switch, a data center operator based in his district, roughly 20 to 25 years ago. He said data centers are necessary and said they should be built with community and local government involvement.
O’Donnell said data centers should not receive tax breaks and said some technologies allow data centers to reduce electricity costs through the additional power they draw. He described concerns about data centers as “a scare tactic” and said Nevada has been building them appropriately.
On AI regulation, O’Donnell said he is skeptical of large technology companies requesting government regulation. He said he sees a role for Congress on intellectual property and copyright issues related to AI, saying current copyright law has not kept pace with technology. He said he supports some guardrails and oversight but said the federal government should take a light-touch approach.
Tourism
Asked about a decline in Canadian tourism to Las Vegas, O’Donnell said he does not believe the president’s policies are responsible. He said he has become supportive of tariffs after seeing investment return to the U.S. for manufacturing, and said tariffs have also been used as a diplomatic tool.
O’Donnell said he does not believe the decline in Canadian visitors is a long-term trend, noting that Nevada has worked to diversify its economy beyond gaming and hospitality.
Housing
Asked about housing affordability and his opponent’s Clark County lands bill, O’Donnell said he would support provisions aimed at preventing corporations from buying private homes. He criticized Lee, saying she has used “insider trading knowledge to enrich herself.” He said home prices in Clark County appear to be stabilizing or declining, which he said is making homeownership more affordable.
Residency and campaign background
Responding to claims that he is a “California millionaire” trying to buy a congressional seat, O’Donnell said he has not lived in California since 1982. He said he has lived in Chicago and Seattle and has lived in Las Vegas for more than a year. He said his daughter moved to Las Vegas 20 years ago and founded a nonprofit, Foster Kinship, that he said has served more than 25,000 children in Nevada.
O’Donnell said his daughter’s experience with bureaucratic obstacles in the foster care system was his primary motivation for entering politics. He said he was later asked by the governor’s office to consider running for Congress.
O’Donnell said he supports congressional term limits, saying he opposes a system in which power accumulates the longer someone serves in office.
Immigration
O’Donnell said he supports continuing to prioritize the removal of people in the country illegally who have committed crimes. He said he believes the border has become more secure under the Trump administration and said immigration law reform can now be considered.
Asked whether he would support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally who are “in good standing,” O’Donnell said he would not describe it that way, but said the process for addressing immigration should be made fair for those who followed legal immigration processes. He said he does not have a specific proposal for how that would be implemented.
Campaign pitch
Asked why voters should support him, O’Donnell said he represents “common sense” and said his opponent represents “absolute nonsense.” He said one good job should be enough for a family to live on, take vacations and make decisions about education.
“The Democrats’ only solution is higher taxes, more spending,” O’Donnell said.
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