Nevada Gubernatorial Election: Aaron Ford defeats incumbent Joe Lombardo
The Democrat secures the governor's seat and becomes the first Black leader of a state west of the Mississippi River.
By Charlotte Dubois ·
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo to win the state's top executive post. The Associated Press called the race for Ford, concluding a contest widely viewed as one of the most competitive gubernatorial elections in the nation.
Ford becomes the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River. He previously served as the state's first Black Senate majority leader and attorney general. His political career began in 2012 when he was elected to the state legislature. Prior to entering politics, he practiced law privately and taught mathematics.
During his tenure as attorney general, Ford joined lawsuits against the Trump administration. Those legal actions sought to uphold birthright citizenship, halt federal election interference, and restore education funding. He used his platform to argue that Lombardo and the Trump administration were responsible for the state's economic struggles.
Ford cited high gas prices, which exceeded $5 per gallon, and a decline in tourism as evidence of poor leadership. He attributed the drop in tourism, a key source of state revenue, to tariffs and immigration crackdowns. Nevada faces an estimated $1.2 billion loss in federal funding due to changes in Medicaid, food assistance, and Affordable Care Act health insurance.
Lombardo, who was elected in 2022, campaigned on the record he established during his first term. He highlighted increases in pay for teachers and state employees. He also pointed to the $133 million set aside to develop housing for middle-income residents. A former sheriff, Lombardo received the endorsement of President Trump.
Both candidates supported tax breaks for data centers, though they argued over who would exercise stricter oversight. Ford pledged to resurrect bills that Lombardo vetoed. Those measures include limiting the number of homes large corporations can buy and granting the state the power to adopt Medicaid negotiated prescription drug prices.
