Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo. (Robin Hebrock/Pahrump Valley Times)

Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo announced Wednesday he will join a growing Republican primary field for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District.

Blundo, who lives and owns a restaurant in Pahrump, made the announcement surrounded by friends and family at Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, where Blundo graduated.

“Washington is full of empty suits. Professional politicians who don’t know what it means to work long hours just to get by, and who are disconnected and don’t understand the challenges real Nevadans face every day,” Blundo said.

Blundo said the country has a continuing immigration problem in which borders are not secure, and the process for legal immigration — which his parents each went through — no longer works. He said the Democratic Party is filled with “avowed socialists.”

In an interview, Blundo said he supported President Donald Trump. When asked if his immigration plan would include a border wall, Blundo said he supported secure borders but would not explicitly use the term “wall.”

Blundo joins a growing field of Republicans vying for the right to challenge Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford in a district where Democrats currently hold a 41-32 voter registration edge.

According to federal election documents, five Republicans have filed paperwork to enter the race, including former Assemblyman Jim Marchant and Charles Navarro, who worked as a staffer for former Rep. Cresent Hardy.

Horsford originally won the seat in 2012 before losing it to Hardy in 2014. Hardy then lost it in 2016 to former Rep. Ruben Kihuen, who did not seek re-election in 2018 after allegations of sexual misconduct. Horsford then beat Hardy in 2018.

Blundo said his conservative, hard-working values align with most Nevadans’ and will help him differentiate himself from the rest of the 2020 primary pack.

Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.