Lombardo, Ford face off in high-stakes Nevada governor’s race

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) is projected to face state Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) in the his bid for a second term as the Silver State’s top executive, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Although Lombardo cruised to victory in his GOP primary Tuesday, the incumbent will face an uphill battle in a tough political environment for Republicans this November. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the race as a “toss up.”

Lombardo offered his party a key win in 2022 as the only GOP candidate to flip a governor’s mansion that year.

Since then, the Nevada Republican, a former Clark County sheriff, has sought to navigate a tight rope with President Trump, who backed his campaign.

In 2024, he endorsed Trump just one month before the Nevada GOP caucuse. He was also one of a handful of Republican governors who did not sign a letter lauding the president’s mega policy bill last year.

Earlier this year, he told The Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston he thought Trump was doing a good job, but added that he doesn’t always agree with the president’s presentation style.

Meanwhile, Republicans have hammered Ford, who led the Democratic field, over his out-of-state travel, which an analysis from The Nevada Independent noted was largely for professional conferences.

Republicans have also attacked Nevada’s top prosecutor for campaigning with former Vice President Harris and for his track record on crime and immigration.

Nevada will be a particularly important bellwether this midterm cycle. For one, it’s one of six battleground states that Trump won in 2024.

The Nevada electorate, whose economy is dominated by the tourism and hospitality industries, is easily affected by inflation and cost-of-living issues.

The Silver State also has a large Latino and Hispanic voting bloc, a demographic that was central to Trump’s reelection bid, but has soured on the president and Republicans in recent polling.