Nevada governor’s race

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Promises worker-first economic relief

Ford sharply criticizes the 'Lombardo-Trump economy' for high unemployment, rising consumer costs, and declining tourism resulting from federal tariffs. He pledges to declare an affordability crisis state of emergency on Day One, repeal Nevada's right-to-work law, and fight tariffs that hurt middle-class working families.

• Pledges to declare an affordability crisis state of emergency on Day One in office.
• Committed to signing legislation repealing Nevada's right-to-work law.
• Opposes federal tariffs that harm Las Vegas tourism and drive up goods prices.

“No more failed leadership in Carson City that lets jobs disappear while prices are soaring … no more to a governor who bends the knee to a president he seeks to please instead of the people he’s sworn to protect.”

“It can be done legislatively. They can send me a bill. And if they send it to me, I'm signing it.”

“The Lombardo-Trump economy has made Nevada unaffordable for working families, squeezing them for every last cent.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Promotes job growth and tax cuts

Lombardo centers his campaign on his economic record, pointing to 11 consecutive months leading the nation in job growth and $6 billion in new private investment. He highlights tax burden reductions for businesses, state Rainy Day Fund growth, and a pledge to veto any new tax hikes.

• Oversaw a 4.3% employment increase since 2022 and created over 44,500 new jobs.
• Reduced the tax burden on businesses by lowering the Modified Business Tax rate by 15%.
• Secured the largest state savings in Nevada history in the Rainy Day Fund and pledges to veto any tax increases.

“Under Governor Lombardo’s leadership, Nevada has led the nation in job growth for 11 consecutive months, employment has grown 1.8% year-over-year, we’ve reached a record 1.6 million jobs, generated over $6 billion in new investment, and created nearly 100,000 jobs.”

“Joe will veto any new tax increase.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Targets corporate landlords and permitting barriers

Ford advocates a multi-pronged approach to lower housing costs for renters and buyers. He focuses on cracking down on Wall Street investment firms buying up single-family housing, streamlining local permitting processes, utilizing vacant public land for new housing construction, and opposing tariffs that raise construction costs.

• Cracking down on Wall Street firms buying local residential housing and pricing out Nevadans.
• Working with municipalities to streamline permitting and utilize vacant land for new construction.
• Opposing federal tariffs that increase building material and housing supply costs.

“stand up to tariffs that threaten to drive up housing costs even further, crack down on Wall Street firms coming into Nevada and pricing working families out of their neighborhoods, and encourage new construction by working with municipalities to ease the permitting process and use vacant land.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Invests state funds for middle-income housing

Lombardo highlights his signing of the Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act, allocating $183 million toward middle-income housing. He also points to state bonding authority supporting thousands of new rental homes and assistance for home buyers, while streamlining construction regulations.

• Signed the Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act investing $183 million into workforce and middle-income housing.
• Authorized $1 billion in bonding for over 5,500 rental homes and $900 million to assist over 3,300 new home buyers.
• Streamlined housing construction regulations and added 6,500 rental units to the state housing pipeline.

“Championed and signed the Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act, investing $183 million to create new housing for middle-income families and essential workers.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Defends public school funding and student relief

Drawing on his background as a former public school math teacher, Ford opposes federal efforts to eliminate public education funding. As Attorney General, he sued the federal government to defend Nevada's $1 billion annual federal school funding and won relief from predatory national student loan servicers.

• Sued federal officials to protect $1 billion in annual federal education funding for Nevada.
• Secured millions in student loan relief by prosecuting deceptive practices by national student loan servicers.
• Pledges to widen educational access and support traditional public school funding.

“As Nevada’s Attorney General, Ford sued the Trump administration for attempting to eliminate the Department of Education and with it the $1 billion Nevada receives each year.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Expands school choice and charter funding

Lombardo touts delivering $2 billion in new funding for public education while championing expanded school choice and charter school access. He restored Read by Grade 3 literacy funding, equalized charter teacher pay, strengthened student discipline policies, and increased school accountability.

• Delivered $2 billion in new education funding, increasing funding by over $2,000 per student.
• Secured $100 million to add 7,500 new charter school seats and passed major school choice legislation.
• Restored Read by Grade 3 literacy funding and passed school safety and discipline reform.

“Passed the most significant school choice legislation in Nevada history, giving more families more options for their children’s future.”

“Delivered the single largest education investment in state history – $2 billion in new funding – which equates to over $2,000 more per student.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Demands data center clean energy accountability

Ford pledges to halt state tax subsidies for data center companies until they demonstrate they will bring their own clean energy, water supply, and electrical infrastructure. He advocates for residential solar incentives, lower utility demand charges, and preventing data centers from inflating household energy rates.

• Pledges to stop tax breaks for data centers unless they supply their own clean energy, grid infrastructure, and water.
• Opposes NV Energy mandatory demand charges that raise household electricity costs.
• Promotes incentives for residential solar installation and building a clean energy workforce.

“As the make-stuff-cost-less Governor, Aaron Ford will not allow data centers to raise costs on Nevadans by one penny.”

“Ford will stop awarding tax breaks for data centers until they prove that they’re holding up their end of the bargain.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Supports data center growth and state water protection

Lombardo strongly supports data center growth as a source of job creation and economic diversification. On broader natural resource policies, he highlights leading Colorado River conservation efforts to secure Nevada's water supply and opposing neighboring state energy mandates.

• Expresses strong support for expanding data centers in Nevada to foster tech sector growth.
• Led Colorado River water conservation initiatives to safeguard the state's water resources.
• Opposes California energy regulations that could raise costs on Nevada consumers.

“Led Colorado River conservation efforts to help protect Nevada’s water supply and stood up for Nevadans against California’s extreme energy policies.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Combats trafficking, opioids, and police misconduct

As Attorney General, Ford highlights securing over $1.2 billion in settlements from pharmaceutical companies for the opioid crisis. He enacted law enforcement reforms restricting 'no-knock' warrants and allowing investigations into police misconduct, while backing diversion courts and human trafficking prosecutions.

• Secured over $1.2 billion in opioid settlements to fund addiction treatment and recovery services.
• Passed bipartisan criminal justice reforms restricting 'no-knock' warrants and investigating pattern-of-unlawful policing.
• Targeted human trafficking rings and expanded support for rehabilitation diversion courts.

“As Attorney General, Ford has held big drug companies accountable for poisoning our communities, winning more than $1.2 billion in opioid settlements.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Stiffens criminal penalties and backs law enforcement

Lombardo emphasizes his 26-year career in law enforcement and tenure as Clark County Sheriff, citing a 10% drop in violent crime during his term as Governor. He delivered pay increases for state law enforcement officers, increased criminal penalties for fentanyl traffickers, and vetoed criminal justice reform bills he viewed as soft on crime.

• Delivered double-digit pay increases for state law enforcement officers.
• Increased penalties for fentanyl trafficking, home invasions, and probation violations involving firearms.
• Vetoed criminal justice reform bills passed by the Democratic legislative majority.

“Nevada has seen a 10% drop in violent crime, including fewer murders (-9%), robberies (-26%), and burglaries (-15%).”

“Increased penalties on fentanyl traffickers to crack down on drug crimes.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Targets PBM profits and medical debt relief

Ford pledges to create a state medical debt relief program and crack down on price gouging and fraudulent billing practices. He also promises to regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to ensure prescription drug discounts are passed directly to Nevada consumers.

• Establishing a state medical debt relief program to assist burdened families.
• Targeting Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to pass prescription drug rebates to consumers.
• Prosecuting price gouging and deceptive billing in healthcare services.

“Ford will also work to relieve medical debt and address causal factors by implementing a debt relief program and by cracking down on price gouging and fraudulent medical billing.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Established Nevada Health Authority and mental health expansion

Lombardo established the Nevada Health Authority to streamline state healthcare programs and reduce costs using state purchasing power. He also funded community behavioral health clinics in underserved areas, supported building Nevada's first standalone children's hospital, and raised Medicaid reimbursement rates.

• Established the Nevada Health Authority to consolidate care programs and leverage state buying power.
• Supported construction of Nevada's first standalone children's hospital.
• Expanded community behavioral health centers and raised acute-need mental health reimbursement rates.

“Established the Nevada Health Authority to ensure access to affordable, reliable care through streamlined health care programs, innovation, and leveraging the state's buying power.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Enforces strict gun control and background checks

Ford supports expanding gun safety laws, including universal background checks on private firearm sales, closing gun show loopholes, and banning ghost guns, bump stocks, and silencers. He also advocates funding research into the root causes of gun violence.

• Banned untraceable ghost guns, bump stocks, and silencers.
• Expanded state background check requirements to cover private sales.
• Supports state funding for research into gun violence prevention.

“He has also led the fight to keep unserialized, untraceable ghost guns off the street and to enact bans on bump stocks and silencers like the ones used in the 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Music Festival in Las Vegas.”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Protects gun rights while opposing bump stocks

Lombardo opposes magazine capacity limits, red flag law expansions, and bans on personally constructed firearms. As Clark County Sheriff, he worked to eliminate the county's 'Blue Card' gun registry in 2015, though he supports efficient background checks and maintains opposition to bump stocks.

• Worked to eliminate Clark County's firearm registry in 2015.
• Opposes firearm magazine capacity limits, red flag law expansions, and bans on building personal firearms.
• Supports efficient background checks while maintaining opposition to bump stock modifications.

“Joe stands with the Founding Fathers and will protect our right to own and bear arms.”

“As Governor, Joe will partner with national law enforcement agencies to protect our constitutional rights while lowering gun violence in Nevada.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Protects state constitutional and statutory abortion access

Ford frames abortion as essential healthcare and pledges to enforce Nevada's existing state statutory protections for abortion access against federal restrictions or legal challenges.

• Vows to defend Nevada's legal protections for abortion access.
• Opposes federal abortion bans or restrictions that attempt to override state protections.

“Attorney General Ford will always uphold the fullest scope of Nevada’s state statute protecting access to abortion”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Pro-life

Lombardo identifies as pro-life on his campaign platform.

• Identifies as a pro-life candidate.

“Joe is pro-life.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Criticizes Carson City veto record and obstruction

Ford criticizes Lombardo's record-setting 160+ vetoes as failed executive leadership and obstruction. He promises to collaborate with the Democratic legislative majority to pass pro-worker, affordable housing, and healthcare legislation.

• Criticizes Lombardo's 160+ vetoes as legislative gridlock.
• Pledges to sign legislation passed by lawmakers to strengthen workers' rights and affordability.

“No more failed leadership in Carson City that lets jobs disappear while prices are soaring”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Uses veto as check against single-party rule

Lombardo frames his record 160+ vetoes as a crucial defense against single-party Democratic control in the Legislature. He actively campaigned for legislative candidates to block a Democratic supermajority and preserve his veto power.

• Issued over 160 vetoes to block partisan Democratic legislative proposals.
• Campaigned for Republican candidates in 2024 to prevent a Democratic legislative supermajority.

“160 vetoes are nothing to celebrate, because what that means is bad government. I won’t hesitate for a second to say no again, though, or to be the last line of defense between you and irresponsible politicians.”

D Democratic Aaron Ford

Supported Constitutional Rights of Voters Amendment

Ford supported Nevada's Question 4 in 2020 (State Constitutional Rights of Voters Amendment) and advocates for protecting voter access.

• Supported Question 4 in 2020 to establish constitutional rights for Nevada voters.

“Nevada Question 4, State Constitutional Rights of Voters Amendment (2020) ... Supported”

R Republican Joe Lombardo

Supports voter ID and ending mail ballots

Lombardo advocates for election law reform, including requiring photo voter ID, eliminating universal mail-in voting and ballot harvesting, and creating a bipartisan oversight board. He endorsed Question 7, the voter ID initiative.

• Endorsed Question 7 requiring voter ID at polls.
• Advocates eliminating ballot harvesting and universal mail ballots.
• Proposes creating a bipartisan panel to oversee state election administration.

“Reforms that eliminate ballot harvesting, end universal mail ballots, require an ID to vote, and creates a bipartisan panel to oversee the elections that are currently controlled by single-party rule.”