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Aaron Ford Wins Nevada Governor Race Over Joe Lombardo
Confirmed
In Short: Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has won the election to become the state's next governor, unseating Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo, according to KTNV Las Vegas.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has won the election to become the state's next governor, unseating Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo, according to KTNV Las Vegas. Ford, 54, will become the state's first Black governor.
Ford's victory comes after a campaign focused on economic issues, linking Lombardo to former President Donald Trump and criticizing their handling of the economy. Ford blamed the state's economic woes on Lombardo and Trump, including high gas prices and declining tourism, NPR reported.
Ford announced last week that if he were victorious, he would pause tax incentives for new data centers pending an audit to determine if they are delivering on the benefits promised in return for over $200 million in tax abatements from 2021 through 2024, as stated by Nevada Current.
Throughout the campaign, Ford emphasized affordability issues, including housing, healthcare, and utilities, which are likely to resonate with voters concerned about inflation, according to Nevada Current.
Ford's background includes serving as Nevada's attorney general since 2019, where he joined lawsuits against the Trump administration on issues like birthright citizenship and federal election interference, as reported by NewsRadio 1370 AM & 92.9 FM WSPD.
Ford garnered 51.5% of the vote against Lombardo’s 44.3%, with 85% of the vote counted, according to Washingtonexaminer.
Lombardo, who was elected in 2022 and was a sheriff before that, conceded the race.
In his concession speech, Lombardo said, “We’ll, you know, look forward to working with them,” as quoted by KTNV Las Vegas.
The race for Nevada's attorney general was considered a toss-up, with Professor Larry Sabato’s political assessment indicating it could go either way, according to the Nevada Appeal.
In a separate race, Vivek Ramaswamy conceded his loss to incumbent J.D. Vance in Ohio, saying, “It was a tough race. It was bitter at times, in both directions,” as quoted by NBC News.
What this adds
The race was closely watched as a potential indicator of broader political trends, with Ford's victory seen as a preview of future elections, Politico noted.
What's confirmed
- Ford introduced Newsom at a North Las Vegas field office as “the governor of the great state of California.” The crowd treated the visit as a 2028 preview.
What's still developing
- Born in California, he moved to Nevada when he was 12.
- Ford said the zeitgeist in 2015, when he and other state lawmakers championed tax incentives to attract data centers, is “apples and oranges” from today.
- Police body-camera footage showed the governor identifying himself before the officer let him go without a citation.
- 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.
- Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin recently moved the race to “Likely R,” citing widening polls and a string of Ford controversies and lackluster fundraising.
- This fall’s governor’s race is offering a preview.