Marty O'Donnell, the composer and audio director behind the iconic soundtracks of Bungie's Halo franchise, fell short in his attempt to enter the U.S. House of Representatives. Running as a Republican in Nevada's 3rd congressional district, O'Donnell lost decisively to incumbent Democrat Susie Lee, who secured 59.1% of the vote compared to O'Donnell's 38.6% with 86% of votes counted. The race was called early Wednesday morning by the Associated Press. O'Donnell had received an endorsement from President Donald Trump ahead of the election.
Campaign and Political Background
Nevada's 3rd district encompasses much of Clark County and portions of Las Vegas. Lee has held the seat since 2019 and has been a recurring target for Republican challengers. This was O'Donnell's second run for the same office; he previously placed fourth in the Republican primary in 2024 before winning the Republican nomination in 2026 with Trump's backing.
O'Donnell centered his campaign around his video game industry credentials, hosting an event that celebrated early Halo titles. At the gathering, he argued that gamers reject progressive ideology and claimed that games, movies, and comics had been "co-opted by left-wing politics." His messaging attempted to leverage his standing in gaming culture as a political asset.
Election Night and Response
As results became clear, Lee's social media team posted the viral "Halo theme song performed by 80 guys in 1 bathroom" video as a jab at O'Donnell. The candidate responded with a post stating that Lee had "a lot of class. And it's all low."
Career in Game Audio
O'Donnell began composing for video games as a freelancer, creating music for Bungie's Myth and Myth 2 titles. He joined Bungie as a full-time employee in 2001 with Oni and went on to compose for every Halo game and the original Destiny. He was terminated from Bungie in 2014, which he claimed occurred "without cause," and subsequently pursued legal action against the company. According to his campaign website, O'Donnell is now retired from the game industry.