Ford wins Nevada governorship in historic upset
Aaron Ford defeats incumbent Joe Lombardo by a wide margin, becoming the state's first Black governor.
By Grace Almasi ·
Nevada voters rejected the incumbent governor and the national political direction on Tuesday, electing Aaron Ford to the top office in the state. The Democratic attorney general defeated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in a contest that turned on the cost of living and the economy. Ford secured a roughly 53,000-vote lead in the initial results, prompting the Associated Press to project him as the winner less than an hour after polls closed.
Ford will become Nevada's 32nd governor in January. He is the first Black person elected governor west of the Mississippi River. This victory follows his 2019 election as the state's first Black attorney general. Nationwide, Ford is one of five Black candidates elected governor in this cycle. The others include Wes Moore in Maryland, Byron Donalds in Florida, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, and David Crowley in Wisconsin.
The race centered on affordability. Ford argued that Lombardo's administration failed to control rising prices on goods and energy. The campaign highlighted the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs and the U.S. war with Iran on the local economy. Gas prices in Nevada have risen well over $5 a gallon, placing the state among the highest in the nation. Ford promised to sign bills within his first 30 days in office to cap drug prices, provide universal free school meals, and limit corporate homebuying.
Lombardo vetoed legislation addressing those specific issues during his single term. He clashed with the Democratic-controlled Senate and Assembly on those measures. Democrats now hold the governor's office and both legislative chambers. They plan to introduce new bills when the Legislature convenes on Feb. 1. Ford framed the election as a choice for working families rather than a partisan battle.
Ellie Lozano, a Republican voter who moved from California to Nevada for lower costs, backed Ford this year. She said the economy was the deciding factor. Lozano noted that she had not heard much from Lombardo about the issues affecting her household. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, praised Ford for staying focused on driving down costs for working families.
The Democratic wave in Nevada extended beyond the governor's race. In the state's 2nd Congressional District, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson leads Republican David Flippo. Benitez-Thompson is poised to flip a seat that has voted Republican in every election since its creation. Flippo moved from the 4th Congressional District to the open seat after Rep. Mark Amodei announced his retirement. Critics used the move to characterize him as an outsider.
UNLV political science professor Tiffany Howard noted that many voters reacted against Lombardo rather than embracing Ford. She stated that economics drives politics more than ideology or identity. Howard said Ford employed a deracialized campaign strategy, similar to former President Barack Obama and Douglas Wilder. This approach de-emphasized racial identity to broaden the coalition. Ford must now build enthusiasm during his term to secure re-election, as he can no longer blame a Republican governor for economic struggles.
