In the political landscape where party loyalty often dictates the outcomes, Greg Kidd’s journey as an Independent candidate has been one of grappling with the realities of the U.S. electoral system. As he put it to KUNR, “Every family has its problem, but the Democratic Party is still interested in the rule of law, the Constitution, and so Congress has an important role for accountability.” Kidd’s efforts to break the conventional mold were met with challenges, as his attempt to unseat Republican Congressman Mark Amodei in 2024 fell short, with Amodei garnering 55.04% of the vote to Kidd’s 36.05%.
Kidd, who identifies as a wealthy venture capitalist, has expressed strong opposition to tariffs and the current use of federal immigration enforcement funding, citing incidents such as the murder of Renee Good by ICE in Minnesota as problematic. He advocates for guest worker programs that would benefit trade, agriculture, and medical sectors.
Despite benefiting from Trump’s tax breaks under the Big Beautiful Bill, Kidd has publicly opposed these benefits, stating, “It may be abhorrent to my values. I’m not disagreeing with everything Trump’s done, I know when he’s doing things that are increasing the inequality gap, and I’ve been on the lucky side, yeah, sure, I’ve worked hard too, but he’s not helping everyday people.” He considers taxes as a beneficial investment and is open to paying more.
Autumn Novotny
/
KUNR Public Radio
Kidd’s political stance also extends support to Nevada’s Democratic senators, who took a stand to end the government shutdown. His campaign’s recent affordability town hall at Reno Public Market featured discussions on job creation and rising utility costs, with Kidd sharing the stage with community advocates.
Questions from the audience about his political alignment were met with an acknowledgment from Kidd of his Democratic candidacy, a revelation that was well-received by the crowd. However, his switch in party affiliation drew criticism from some, including Democratic hopeful Josh Hebert, who questioned Kidd’s community involvement.
“I don’t know that you’ve engaged in the community at all, and now you are running as a Democrat in what looks to a lot of Democrats like an attempt to purchase the Democratic primary,” Hebert remarked during an open mic session. Despite these criticisms, Kidd emphasized his support for campaign spending limits, having spent over $9 million on his 2024 campaign.
Another candidate, Gamaliel Enriquez, shared his perspective as a DoorDash driver on social media, stating, “I’m not just talking about affordability-I’m living it,” in a Facebook post.
Voters at the town hall expressed a desire for Kidd to outline his strategy for defeating Amodei, who has held his congressional seat since 2011, and to propose tangible plans for achieving change.
