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Aaron Ford Wins Nevada Governor Race
Confirmed
In Short: Democrat Aaron Ford defeated Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo in Nevada's governor race.
Aaron Ford, the Democratic attorney general, won the Nevada governor race, defeating Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo.
The Associated Press declared Ford the winner at 4:46 a.m., with Ford leading Lombardo by seven percentage points when 85% of the votes were counted.
Ford's campaign focused on widespread economic anxiety, framing the race as a referendum on the 'Lombardo-Trump economy.' He criticized federal spending cuts, tax policies, and import tariffs, warning they disproportionately affected working families and endangered Nevada’s tourism-dependent workforce.
Ford also targeted Lombardo over a state-federal agreement easing approvals for data centers on public land.
In his victory speech to supporters gathered at a packed Teamsters 631 union hall in Las Vegas, Ford said, 'This campaign didn’t happen by accident.'
Ford’s victory returns the governor’s office to Democratic hands after Lombardo’s Republican win in 2022, giving Democrats an important breakthrough in a state that has remained politically competitive in recent election cycles.
The race was considered one of the country’s most competitive governor’s races, with Ford making history as the state’s first Black governor.
Nonpartisan candidate Danielle Ford and the option to select 'None of these candidates' also appeared on the ballot.
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.
What this adds
The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday morning.
The race remains within the poll's margin of error, with 7% supporting independent candidate Danielle Ford and 9% undecided, according to Noble Predictive Insights’ latest Nevada Public Opinion Pulse poll.
Background
Democrat Aaron Ford defeated Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo in the Nevada governor race.
What's confirmed
- Democrat Aaron Ford won election Wednesday as governor of Nevada, defeating Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo.
- Ford, the attorney general, defeated the incumbent Lombardo in what was considered one of the country’s most competitive governor’s races.
- Joe Lombardo in Nevada’s gubernatorial contest, unseating the one-term incumbent and making history as the state’s first Black governor, The Associated Press projects.
- Nonpartisan candidate Danielle Ford also appears on the ballot, along with the option to select “None of these candidates.” Lombardo became Nevada’s 31st governor in January 2023.
- Nev. — Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford has defeated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in Nevada’s governor’s race.
What's still developing
- However, compounding pressure from high rents, grocery bills, gas prices, and healthcare costs ultimately drove voters to back Ford, giving Democrats a pivotal statewide victory ahead of the 2028 cycle.
- Rain showers early then thundershowers for the afternoon.
- Ford, a two-term attorney general and former state Senate majority leader, focused his campaign on affordability, housing costs, and criticism of the Republican governor’s leadership.
- The race remains within the poll's margin of error, with 7% supporting independent candidate Danielle Ford and 9% undecided, according to Noble Predictive Insights ’ (NPI) latest Nevada Public Opinion Pulse (NVPOP) poll.
- 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.
- POLITICO reported Ford’s victory, highlighting the significance of his election and the growing number of Black candidates securing gubernatorial victories across the country.
- "I'm standing with a real chance of becoming governor," Ford said at a campaign watch party Tuesday evening, while supporters cheered him on as results showing a slight lead were projected onto a screen.