Nevada governor’s race shaping up as a marquee battle in a state carried by Trump

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Setting the stage for what is expected to be a highly competitive fight for Nevada governor, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Monday he will challenge Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo next year.

Ford represents the highest-profile Democrat to enter the still-emerging contest in a battleground state carried by President Donald Trump in 2024. In the election, Trump made gains among younger voters, voters without a college degree and Black and Hispanic men.

“Nevadans are suffering in an economy that is rigged against those trying their hardest to stay afloat,” Ford said in a statement. “I will work to lower the crushing cost of housing and prescription drugs, strengthen our public schools and ensure every community in Nevada is safe.”

The Better Nevada PAC — which supports Lombardo — called Ford a “radical” who has pushed a “dangerous woke agenda” on Nevada families.

Even with the primary election nearly a year away, the race is widely seen as a toss-up, in part because Nevada is narrowly divided between Democrats and Republicans. As in many parts of the country, residents continue to be stressed by the cost of living and a lack of affordable housing.

The race will unfold during an unsettled time nationally, with Democrats still trying to recast their brand after 2024 losses in Congress and the White House. Meanwhile, recent polling found only about one-quarter of U.S. adults say that President Donald Trump’s policies have helped them since he took office. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found underwhelming marks for the president on key issues, including the economy, immigration, government spending and health care.

Lombardo, who is expected to run for reelection, would come to the race with the advantages of incumbency. Not surprisingly in a swing state, he has sought to fashion a generally middle-ground Republican reputation at a time when Americans are deeply divided by partisan politics.

Last month, Lombardo unexpectedly vetoed a bill that would have required voters to show a photo ID at the polls — a conservative priority across the country and something that has been on Lombardo’s legislative wish list. The bill came together as a compromise between the governor and the top Democrat in the state Assembly, who wanted to add more drop boxes for mail ballots in the days leading up to an election.

In his veto message, Lombardo said he “wholeheartedly” supports voter ID laws but felt the final version fell short on addressing his concerns about ballots cast by mail, because such ballots could still be accepted “solely on the basis of a signature match” under the bill.

If elected, Ford would be Nevada’s first Black governor.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, political scientist David Damore said Democrats have lost ground in the state. But there is a path for Ford if the party can make the election a referendum on the Trump economy — including cuts for Medicaid and green energy programs and declining Las Vegas tourism — while avoiding identity politics issues that have cost Democrats with voters.

“A caveat is there is no U.S. Senate race in 2026, which typically injects lots of Democratic resources into the state,” he added in an email.