Nevada governor's race pits Lombardo against Ford in tight contest

Nevada’s governorship is headed toward another knife-edge contest, with Republican Joe Lombardo and Democrat Aaron Ford now positioned for a November race that could hinge on a few thousand votes in Clark and Washoe counties. The matchup pits a one-term incumbent who upset an incumbent governor in 2022 against a statewide Democrat with his own narrow win history, sharpening Nevada’s role as an early test of both parties’ strength heading into the midterm cycle.

Lombardo entered the general election after defeating six Republican challengers. Ford, meanwhile, emerged from a Democratic field that included Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, one of his strongest rivals. Primary results and projections on June 9 set up the rematch between two of Nevada’s best-known statewide figures.

The race carries unusual weight because Lombardo’s 2022 victory was itself a political shock. He beat Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak by about 1.5 percentage points and became the only incumbent governor in the country to lose reelection that year. Lombardo, who was elected governor in November 2022 and sworn in the following January, is now seeking a second term after moving to the governor’s office from the Clark County sheriff’s seat.

Ford brings a different kind of statewide profile. Nevada’s 34th attorney general, he took office on January 7, 2019, after serving in the Nevada Senate, where he held leadership roles. Ford also made history as the first African American to hold statewide constitutional office in Nevada, and his 2018 attorney general win came by a very narrow margin.

The political terrain makes the race especially volatile. Nevada has repeatedly behaved like a swing state in recent statewide elections, and early polling before the primary suggested a close contest between Lombardo and Ford. Ford has centered his campaign on affordability, while Lombardo has leaned on public safety, economic recovery, school choice and his office’s message about restoring law and order and diversifying Nevada’s economy.

That contrast gives the race outsized significance beyond Nevada. In a state where Las Vegas and East Las Vegas can help decide statewide outcomes, the contest is likely to serve as a proxy fight over abortion, the cost of living and which party can turn out its base more effectively.