NEW: Popular Republican Governor Ousted In Blue Wave
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo lost his bid for a second term to Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, according to The Associated Press, handing Democrats a prized pickup in one of the nation’s most competitive gubernatorial races.
The Trump-endorsed Republican campaigned on pay raises and housing investments. Ford countered by tying Lombardo to voters’ frustration over the economy, blaming the governor and President Donald Trump for the state’s struggles.
Ford’s victory sets up a push to revive legislation Lombardo blocked during a tenure marked by a record number of vetoes.
Among Ford’s priorities are proposals to restrict how many homes large corporations can buy and cap certain prescription drug prices at levels negotiated by Medicare.
Lombardo, a former sheriff elected governor in 2022, had urged voters to give him another four years to build on his record. He pointed to raises for teachers and state workers, along with a $133 million housing initiative supporting development and assistance for low- and middle-income Nevadans.
But the campaign unfolded against a difficult economic backdrop in a state heavily dependent on tourism.
Ford hammered Lombardo and Trump over gasoline prices topping $5 a gallon and a tourism slowdown he attributed to tariffs and immigration crackdowns.
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Nevada also risks losing an estimated $1.2 billion in federal funding tied to changes in Medicaid, food assistance and Affordable Care Act health insurance funding.
The candidates sparred over tax breaks for data centers, too. Both had played a role in those incentives, leaving each to argue he would take a tougher approach moving forward.
Ford brought his own record of clashes with the Trump administration to the race. As attorney general, he joined successful lawsuits challenging the administration on birthright citizenship, federal involvement in elections and education funding.
His win will make him the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River. He previously became Nevada’s first Black Senate majority leader and attorney general.
A former math teacher and private-practice lawyer, Ford was first elected to the Nevada Legislature in 2012. He will now take over from the Republican whose agenda he spent the campaign attacking.