Ford ousts Lombardo in battleground Nevada governor’s race

Democrat Aaron Ford is projected to defeat Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) in the Nevada governor’s race, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Ford, the Nevada attorney general, defeated first-term Lombardo to be Nevada’s top executive. Lombardo’s loss underscores the Democratic blue wave that’s splashed across the nation where even more reliably Republican areas like Texas and Kansas have fallen to the Democrats.

Lombardo’s loss is particularly notable given he was the one Republican to flip a Democratic-held governorship in 2022, serving a bright spot for the party in an otherwise red ripple of a midterm year for the GOP.

Ford tied the Nevada governor to President Trump as Democrats throughout the country nationalized the race and tied vulnerable GOP incumbents to a president whose approval ratings have sharply declined. The Nevada Democrat also leaned into issues such as adding more affordable housing in the state and repealing the state’s “right-to-work” law.

Lombardo and Republicans sought to attack Ford, particularly for his multiple trips out of the state and for his track on issues such as crime.

Ford’s win is historic, making him the first Black governor to helm the Silver State.