Nevada picks new governor as Ford defeats Lombardo
The state's attorney general will become the first Black governor west of the Mississippi after unseating the Republican incumbent in a close race.
By Giulia Marshall ·
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Republican Governor Joe Lombardo on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race, marking a shift in power in what analysts described as one of the most competitive gubernatorial contests in the nation.
Ford, a Democrat, enters office as the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River. He has served in public office since 2012, when he first won a seat in the state legislature. Before that, he worked as a private lawyer and a math teacher. In the state Senate, he became the first Black majority leader. As attorney general, he led legal challenges against the Trump administration regarding birthright citizenship, federal election oversight, and education funding.
Lombardo, who took office in 2022, served as a sheriff before entering statewide politics. President Donald Trump endorsed him for this election. Lombardo ran on a platform of continuing his first-term policies, which included raising pay for teachers and state employees. He also highlighted a $133 million fund set aside to build housing for middle-income residents.
Ford campaigned heavily on the state's economic struggles. He pointed to gas prices that exceeded $5 per gallon and a decline in tourism revenue. He attributed these issues to tariffs and immigration crackdowns implemented by the federal government. Ford also warned that Nevada faces the loss of an estimated $1.2 billion in federal funding due to changes in Medicaid, food assistance, and Affordable Care Act subsidies.
The candidates disagreed on how to handle corporate tax breaks for data centers, with both claiming they would be tougher on the industry than the other. Ford pledged to revive legislation that Lombardo vetoed during his first term. Those bills aimed to limit the number of homes large corporations can purchase and would allow the state to adopt Medicaid negotiated prices for prescription drugs.
The election result ends Lombardo's first term and installs Ford as the state's chief executive. Ford's administration will now take control of the state's budget and legislative agenda as he begins his tenure.
