Nevada Governor Race Set. Lombardo Leads Ford 40-37 in a Tossup.

Lombardo and Ford Advance to November

Joe Lombardo and Aaron Ford won their primaries on June 9, setting up the November general election for Nevada governor. Lombardo, the Republican incumbent and former Clark County sheriff, faced six challengers and was projected the winner by NBC News. Ford, Nevada’s Democratic attorney general, defeated Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill.

Lombardo Leads While Trump Complicates the Race

Lombardo entered 2026 with a seven-to-one fundraising advantage over his Democratic challengers. Emerson College polling gives him a 40-37 lead over Ford, with 23% undecided. Cook Political Report rates the race a Tossup.

40-37: Lombardo’s lead over Ford in Emerson polling, with 23% undecided. Cook Political rates it a Tossup.

Trump’s national agenda is eating into that cushion. Lombardo publicly opposed the GOP’s Medicaid cuts, warning they would harm Nevada’s safety net, but Congress passed them anyway. He set a Nevada record with 87 vetoes in 2025, including one that blocked expanded IVF access, while also signing legislation protecting out-of-state abortion patients. That record is now Ford’s campaign material.

A Politico analysis in April described the dynamic: a Republican incumbent in a purple state trying to stay electable by distancing from his party’s most toxic policies, while keeping Trump’s endorsement as his biggest financial asset. The calculation gets harder as Trump’s agenda becomes November’s issue.

Ford Runs on Affordability and Medicaid

Ford has framed the race as a referendum on the “Lombardo-Trump economy.” He raised $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2026, backed by endorsements from Nevada’s two U.S. senators. His core argument: Lombardo had chances to protect Nevadans from federal cuts and did not.

The Medicaid angle has teeth. Lombardo voiced opposition, but that opposition produced no result. Ford will run the election-year consequences through November.

Abortion Amendment Returns to the Ballot

Under Nevada law, constitutional amendments must pass in two consecutive elections to take effect. Question 6, which would enshrine abortion rights through fetal viability in the Nevada Constitution, first passed overwhelmingly in 2024. It returns to the ballot in November to be finalized.

Lombardo voted No on Question 6 in 2024. Abortion rights advocates expect it to pass again and are counting on it to drive Democratic turnout.

What You Can Do

Nevada voters: Register to vote and confirm your polling location before November 3 at nvsos.gov. Question 6 will be on your ballot. A yes vote locks abortion rights into the Nevada Constitution.
Contact your senators about Medicaid: Lombardo opposed the federal cuts but could not stop them. Use the letter below to demand senators restore Medicaid funding. The comment deadline on CMS’s proposed cap rule is July 21.
Track the race: With 23% undecided, Nevada is genuinely open. A Ford win in a state Trump carried would be among the year’s most significant results.