Lombardo and Ford advance in Nevada governor race

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Attorney General Aaron Ford won their primaries Tuesday, setting up a fall campaign expected to be one of the country’s most competitive races for governor.

CBS News and NBC News projected Lombardo, a Republican seeking a second term, and Ford, a Democrat, as the winners of their party contests. Lombardo, the former Clark County sheriff, defeated several low-profile Republican challengers. Ford, the highest-ranking Democrat elected statewide, also overcame multiple opponents; CBS News reported that his most serious challenge came from progressive Alexis Hill, while NBC News reported he took roughly two-thirds of the Democratic vote.

The general election will test both parties in a closely divided state where economic anxiety, tourism and national politics are already shaping the campaign. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates the race a toss-up, and the Democratic Governors Association has identified Nevada as a top pickup opportunity.

Lombardo won the governorship in 2022 by less than two points, defeating Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak by just over 15,000 votes. He is now the only incumbent Republican running for re-election among the five governor’s races the Cook Political Report rates as toss-ups, NBC News reported.

Ford, a former top Democrat in the state Senate, is seeking to become Nevada’s first Black governor. As attorney general, he signed onto more than 40 lawsuits in 2025 against the Trump administration, a record expected to feature prominently in his campaign.

Democrats have moved quickly to tie Lombardo to President Donald Trump, arguing that Trump’s policies on tariffs, immigration and other issues have hurt Nevada’s economy. Tourism is central to that argument. CBS News reported that Canadians account for half of Las Vegas’ foreign tourism, which has dropped 17% in 2025. Overall tourism in 2025 declined 7.5%, the largest visitor drop outside the pandemic since Las Vegas began tracking the data in 1970. Tourism accounts for 30% of the region’s jobs.

Ford campaign manager Zoë Kleinfeld called Lombardo “Trump’s human doormat” after Ford’s primary win, saying he “told working Nevadans breaking their backs to get by that we need to ‘feel a little pain’ while his biggest donors saw increased profits.”

Democratic Governors Association political director Chris Sloan called Nevada a “top pickup opportunity” and said Lombardo is “the most vulnerable governor up for re-election in the country, thanks to his failed record and his support for Trump’s cost-raising agenda.”

Lombardo and his allies are casting him as a pragmatic Republican who has worked with a Democratic-controlled Legislature on jobs, education and housing. His campaign has pointed to job creation during his tenure and a law funding at least $130 million in what his administration calls “attainable housing.” Democrats counter that unemployment has risen during his four years and that he vetoed several housing bills backed by Democratic lawmakers.

“Our work isn’t finished. There are still families feeling the pressure of rising costs, students who need greater opportunities, and communities that deserve even more economic growth and investment,” Lombardo said after his primary victory. “That’s why I’m running for another term — to build on the progress we’ve made, finish the job.”

Republicans have attacked Ford over missed work as attorney general and out-of-state trips paid for by nonprofit groups. NBC News reported that Ford is under investigation by the Nevada Commission on Ethics over some of those trips. Ford campaign spokesperson Tai Sims said the travel was tied to Ford’s leadership role at the Attorney General Alliance and accused Lombardo’s allies of promoting a “false political narrative.”

Lombardo begins the general election with a major spending edge. From Jan. 1 through Tuesday, his campaign and allied groups spent about $8.5 million on ads, compared with $67,000 by Ford’s campaign, according to AdImpact data cited by NBC News.

Nevada has produced narrow, split-ticket results in recent elections. Trump carried the state by three points in 2024, while Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen won re-election the same year. In 2022, Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won by 7,900 votes even as Lombardo defeated Sisolak.