News - August 19, 2026 - by RachelDahl

- Click for Full Interview

Democratic congressional candidate Teresa Benitez-Thompson used a recent appearance on Nevada Newsmakers to draw contrasts with her Republican opponent on affordability, tariffs and political independence, while also laying out her position on Israel, Gaza and U.S. involvement in Iran.

Benitez-Thompson, a former Nevada Assembly majority leader who is running in Congressional District 2, told host Sam Shad that if elected, she would put a heavy emphasis on constituent services, particularly helping Northern Nevada residents, counties and local governments navigate federal agencies and secure assistance.

“A lot of constituent services,” she said when asked what a first-term member of Congress can realistically accomplish. “You can get things done and you can help your local governments, your municipalities, your counties.”

Affordability was one of the first issues raised in the interview.

Benitez-Thompson argued that tariffs and other federal policies are contributing to higher household costs, using the price of a Fourth of July hamburger as an example. She said beef, fertilizer, diesel, produce and transportation costs have all increased, hitting rural producers as well as consumers.

She said a rural Nevada farmer had described sharply higher fertilizer costs and pointed to diesel prices as another factor raising the cost of moving food into Nevada.

Benitez-Thompson blamed the current administration’s tariff policy for part of those increases and said Northern Nevada families are increasingly feeling the pressure.

She also cited conversations with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, saying she had been told the organization is seeing record numbers of people seeking food assistance.

Shad pushed back on assigning responsibility solely to the current administration, arguing that policies under both political parties and federal spending have contributed to inflation.

Benitez-Thompson acknowledged that elected officials cannot control every part of the economy, but said she believes the current round of tariffs is different because the increases are being driven directly by federal policy.

The discussion broadened into the balance of power between Congress and the presidency. Benitez-Thompson argued that Congress has surrendered too much of its authority to the executive branch and said lawmakers need to reassert their constitutional role.

She described herself as pragmatic rather than ideological.

“I’m about getting things done,” she said. “I don’t believe that you should be elected unless you can go in and actually go back to your community and say, this is a change that I have made for you.”

She added that elected officials who fail to accomplish anything are “essentially loitering” on the public’s time.
Benitez-Thompson said her record in the Legislature reflected a willingness to work across party lines and said she intends to take the same approach in Congress.

She also said she is willing to debate Republican David Flippo and argued candidates have an obligation to make themselves available to voters.

“If you say you’re going to represent this community, the community has to know what you’re about,” she said.
Shad said Nevada Newsmakers has invited Flippo to appear on the program both individually and in a debate with Benitez-Thompson, but said the show was still working to secure his participation.

“We hope that that comes through,” Shad said. “We’re still working on it.”

At the end of the interview, Shad again said Flippo was welcome on the program. Benitez-Thompson said she hoped her opponent would agree to appear and answer the same kinds of questions.

The interview turned to foreign policy late in the program, with Shad questioning positions on Israel and Gaza that Benitez-Thompson has posted publicly.

Benitez-Thompson said her statements were not aimed at appealing to a particular voting bloc. Instead, she said she began addressing the issue after repeatedly being asked about Gaza, humanitarian aid and civilian rights during campaign forums around the district.

“There was a lot of concern,” she said, adding that she believed she had an obligation to respond to questions voters were raising.

Benitez-Thompson said she continues to support a two-state solution and does not want Hamas to regain power or rebuild its military strength.

“In no way do we want to see a resurgence of Hamas,” she said.

At the same time, she said rebuilding Gaza must include basic humanitarian needs such as food, clothing, shelter, clean water and places for civilians to live.

On U.S. military support for Israel, Benitez-Thompson drew a distinction between defensive aid and what she described as unconditional support.

She said the United States should continue supporting defensive systems such as Iron Dome as part of its strategic relationship with Israel.

“But what it doesn’t mean is just an unconditional check,” she said, arguing that the relationship should be “changed and recalibrated.”

Benitez-Thompson also described Iran as a longtime adversary and sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East.
“Iran is not our friend,” she said.

Her criticism centered instead on the justification for recent U.S. military action involving Iran. She questioned what had changed to create an emergency requiring military involvement and said the administration had moved away from diplomacy too quickly.
Benitez-Thompson said concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and missile capability are longstanding, but argued those concerns alone do not answer why military action was necessary at this particular moment.

She also separated that issue from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, while acknowledging Israel’s campaign against Hamas and saying too many civilians had been killed in the process.

Throughout the interview, Benitez-Thompson returned to the same theme: voters should know where candidates stand, even on difficult issues.

“We’ve got to be willing to have tough conversations,” she said.

- Click for Full Interview