Democrat Aaron Ford has unseated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in one of the country’s most competitive gubernatorial races, according to an Associated Press race call. Ford, Nevada’s attorney general, will become the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River.
Ford previously served as Nevada’s first Black Senate majority leader. First elected to the state legislature in 2012, he worked as a private attorney and taught mathematics before entering politics. As attorney general, he joined lawsuits against the Trump administration over birthright citizenship, federal election interference and education funding.
During the campaign, Ford blamed Lombardo and President Donald Trump for the state’s economic difficulties. He pointed to gas prices above $5 per gallon and declining tourism, which the report linked to tariffs and immigration crackdowns. Nevada also faces an estimated loss of $1.2 billion in federal funding amid changes to Medicaid and food assistance, as well as cuts to Affordable Care Act health insurance.
Ford pledged to revive legislation that Lombardo vetoed, including proposals to limit large corporations’ home purchases and allow the state to adopt negotiated Medicaid prescription drug prices. Lombardo, elected in 2022 after serving as sheriff, campaigned on his first-term record, including higher pay for teachers and state employees and $133 million set aside for housing aimed at middle-income residents. He was endorsed by Trump.
Both candidates supported tax breaks for data centers, but differed over who would take a tougher approach to the industry.
Sources: NPR Politics.