Aaron Ford Ousts Joe Lombardo in Nevada Governor Race
The state’s attorney general becomes Nevada’s first Black governor, defeating the incumbent Republican in a contest shaped by housing costs and AI development.
By Noor Phillips ·
Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo on Tuesday to become the first Black governor of Nevada. The result ends Lombardo’s term as the state’s chief executive and shifts control of the governor’s office to the Democratic Party.
Ford, who has served as the state’s top prosecutor since 2019, campaigned on a platform focused on affordability. He pledged to address student loan debt and restrict the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers. Ford proposed pausing new tax abatements for these facilities and opposing projects built on federal land within the state.
The race centered heavily on the economic impact of the Trump administration. Democrats linked Lombardo to the president’s tariffs, arguing that trade disputes with Canada hurt the Las Vegas tourism industry. Canadian visitors to the state declined by 17% in 2025. Ford also criticized the incumbent for vetoing bills aimed at limiting corporate homeownership and providing free school meals.
Lombardo, a former sheriff, attempted to portray Ford as soft on crime. The governor’s team also raised questions about the cost of Ford’s policy proposals. In response, Ford pointed to his record as attorney general, which includes securing millions of dollars in settlements from opioid manufacturers and suing the gaming platform Roblox.
National political figures played a visible role in the campaign. California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Nevada to support Ford. Both are considered potential contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination. Nevada’s six electoral votes make it a priority target for both parties during the nominating process.
Both candidates faced scrutiny regarding their law enforcement backgrounds. Ford’s campaign noted that Lombardo avoided a traffic ticket in Las Vegas by identifying himself to the officer. Lombardo’s team highlighted a clemency application Ford sponsored for a man who killed a pregnant woman in 2017. A key surprise came when the Democratic district attorney for Clark County endorsed Lombardo over his party colleague.
Nevada’s electorate remains difficult to predict. Nonpartisan voters make up nearly 40% of the registered electorate. The state features a split between Democratic-leaning urban areas and heavily Republican rural regions. Ford’s victory marks a strategic win for Democrats seeking to expand their influence in key battleground states ahead of the next presidential election.
