Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced on Monday that he will run for governor in 2026, formally challenging Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in a race that Democrats hope will return the state’s top office to their party. In his statement, Ford said, “I’m running for Governor because Nevadans need a fighter in their corner. 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.” Ford, who has previously served as majority leader in the state Senate and worked as a math teacher, criticized Lombardo’s leadership, saying that the governor has presided over an economy “rigged against those trying their hardest to stay afloat” and pointed to issues such as homelessness and high unemployment as key failures of the administration.
Ford enters a Democratic primary field that could include Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, who is also weighing a run for governor. Lombardo, a former sheriff of Clark County, won the governorship in 2022 by narrowly defeating Democrat Steve Sisolak, becoming the only Republican that year to flip a governor’s seat from the opposing party. Nevada remains a battleground with a history of close contests and ticket-splitting among voters; in the most recent elections, President Trump carried the state by 3 points while Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen defeated Republican Sam Brown by nearly 2 points. Along with Georgia, Nevada is viewed as one of Democrats’ strongest chances to win back a governor’s mansion in 2026, with election analysts rating both races as toss-ups.