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Nevada Republicans Target Gavin Newsom in 2028 Bid Against Ford
Confirmed
In Short: Nevada Republicans are capitalizing on Gavin Newsom's endorsement of Attorney General Adam Ford, framing it as a potential 2028 threat to the California governor.
California Republicans are using Gavin Newsom's endorsement of Attorney General Adam Ford as a key talking point in their campaign against him, framing it as a potential 2028 challenge. According to reports, Joe Lombardo, Ford's campaign manager, has made the contrast explicit, stating that he is fighting Newsom's agenda while Ford is trying to import it.
Newsom's endorsement of Ford was one of the most widely recognized facts about the attorney general's campaign, according to a new Politico report. The Better Nevada PAC, which supports Lombardo, has spent months making sure voters see the connection, with billboards across the Las Vegas Valley featuring Ford with Newsom and the message that the California governor has endorsed the attorney general.
Jerry Brown's second stint as governor in 2011 saw significant reforms to the pension fund and worker compensation system, setting a precedent that Newsom is now trying to replicate. However, Lombardo has made it clear that he is fighting Newsom's agenda, suggesting that Nevada voters do not want a governor who treats Newsom as a role model.
Newsom formally backed Ford early in the cycle and later opened a summer swing in Las Vegas to raise money and rally volunteers for him. Ford introduced Newsom at a North Las Vegas field office, treating the visit as a 2028 preview. The crowd responded enthusiastically, with Newsom's presence seen as a potential 2028 preview.
Billboards across the Las Vegas Valley feature Ford with Newsom, with the message that the California governor has endorsed the attorney general. According to the California Globe, the Better Nevada PAC has been working to make this connection known, with the aim of portraying Newsom as a potential 2028 threat to the state.
What's confirmed
- Lombardo has made the contrast explicit: he says he is fighting Newsom’s agenda while Ford is trying to import it.
What's still developing
- Gavin Newsom’s desk: a measure to increase pensions for public safety workers that could cost state and local government budgets — which are already leaking red ink — many additional billions of dollars.
- PAC officials have said Newsom is among the least popular elected officials in Nevada and that Ford invited the association by bringing him into the state.
- Globe reporting in July identified maximum contributions from Soros family members to Ford’s gubernatorial account after Newsom’s public endorsement.
- Ford’s campaign has leaned on the same coastal network that funds Newsom-aligned politics.
- A person familiar with the PAC’s internal polling, granted anonymity to discuss private data, said it shows Newsom ’s endorsement is now the second-most-known datapoint about the attorney general.