Jeffrey Ross Gunter

Jeffrey Ross Gunter (born January 31, 1961 ) is an American dermatologist, healthcare executive, and diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Iceland from 2019 to 2021. Gunter was a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Nevada in the 2024 election, finishing second to Sam Brown. Gunter was then a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 2026 in Nevada's 3rd congressional district. He placed second in the Republican primary to Martin O'Donnell.

Education Gunter graduated from Beverly Hills High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1983 and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the USC School of Medicine in 1987.

Gunter completed his residency in 1991 at the Los Angeles General Medical Center, where he served as the chief resident of dermatology. Gunter was also named as a defendant in two medical malpractice lawsuits filed in California in the mid-2000s: both were settled. Trump then renominated Gunter on January 16, 2019, at the outset of the 116th Congress. On May 23, 2019, following a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Gunter was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote. Gunter presented his credentials on July 2, 2019. Three diplomatic sources interviewed by CBS News said that Gunter was persuaded not to arm himself because doing so would be perceived as insulting to Iceland; the embassy nevertheless placed an advertisement in the Icelandic press seeking full-time Icelandic bodyguards, which CBS News' sources described as a way to "placate Gunter's 'irrational' concerns."

Political involvement Gunter was registered as a Democrat in California, but did not contribute to Democratic candidates. However, Federal Election Commission records show that in 2006 he contributed to former Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Lieberman—by then running as an independent—in his U.S. Senate campaign against Republican Alan Schlesinger and Democrat Ned Lamont. Gunter's dermatology practice began in California in 1992 and expanded to Nevada in 1995.

Donations to Republican Party Gunter has a history of donating to Republican Party candidates, including Liz Cheney, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis. He is a member of the board of directors of the Republican Jewish Coalition. In 2016, he donated $58,563 to several state Republican Party organizations, $33,400 to the Republican National Committee and $5,400 to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

2024 U.S. Senate campaign

Gunter ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from Nevada in 2024, seeking to challenge Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen.

Republican Party leaders discouraged Gunter from entering the 2024 race, in part because of his record as ambassador and in part because he had not previously voted in any Nevada election. Critics, including Brown’s wife Amy and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called the ads “disgusting” and “inexcusable,” arguing that they mocked a veteran’s combat injuries for political gain. Gunter rejected the criticism, stating that the imagery was intended to portray Brown’s political ties to the “Washington swamp” and that he does not “judge people based on appearances.” The Trump campaign responded by rejecting the accusation. Senior advisor Chris LaCivita wrote on X that the claim was “proof point as to why @DrJeffGunter didn’t earn the endorsement of @realDonaldTrump,” adding that Gunter had “a habit of making up crap” and that “President Trump makes his own decisions and this is another example of him choosing wisely.”

2026 U.S. House campaign

Gunter was then a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 2026 in Nevada's 3rd congressional district. He placed second in the Republican primary to Martin O'Donnell.