LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 04: Nevada Democratic gubernatorial candidate and current Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford speaks to supporters at the Nevada Democratic Party's election results watch party on November 4, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption

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RENO, Nev. – In what was considered one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the U.S., Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford unseated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, according to an Associated Press race call.

The Democrat will be the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River. He was previously Nevada's first Black Senate majority leader and attorney general. He was first elected to the state legislature in 2012, and before that practiced law privately and taught math.

As attorney general, Ford successfully joined lawsuits against the Trump administration to uphold birthright citizenship, stop federal election interference, and restore education funding.

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Lombardo was elected in 2022 and was a sheriff before that. He was endorsed by President Trump.

Throughout his campaign, Ford blamed the state's economic woes on Lombardo and Trump, including some of the highest gas prices in the country at over $5 per gallon and declining tourism, which is one of the main sources of revenue, due to tariffs and immigration crackdowns.

Nevada also risks losing an estimated $1.2 billion in federal funding due to changes to Medicaid, food assistance and cuts in the Affordable Care Act health insurance.

Ford has pledged to bring back bills outgoing Lombardo killed in his record-breaking vetoes, including limiting the number of homes large corporations can buy and giving the state the power to adopt Medicaid negotiated prescription drug prices.

Lombardo campaigned on telling voters he would continue the work he did in the first term when he increased pay for teachers and state employees and set aside $133 million to develop housing for middle-income Nevadans.

Both candidates had a hand in tax breaks for data centers, but they've argued over who would be tougher on them now.

Lucia Starbuck is a political reporter for KUNR.

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