Nevada GOP Gov. Lombardo projected to face Democrat Ford in highly competitive race

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo won their parties' primaries successful this year's Nevada gubernatorial race, CBS News projects, mounting up the November ballot successful 1 of the races Democrats are targeting. 

Ford, who is from Clark County, defeated respective superior opponents connected Tuesday, with his astir formidable situation coming from progressive Alexis Hill. According to University of Nevada-Las Vegas governmental subject prof Rebecca Gill, Ford had entered the contention with sanction designation and a structural vantage arsenic the highest-ranking Democrat elected statewide. 

Lombardo besides defeated aggregate superior opponents connected Tuesday. 

Democrats successful the authorities person already begun zeroing successful connected Lombardo, and the Democratic Governors' Association has identified Nevada arsenic 1 of its apical targets. 

The Cook Political Report has rated the Nevada gubernatorial contention arsenic a flip up.

The November predetermination is expected to beryllium mostly a referendum connected President Trump, arsenic the authorities has been deed hard by immoderate of Mr. Trump's signature policies, including migration and tariffs. Canadians relationship for fractional of Las Vegas' overseas tourism, which has dropped by 17% successful 2025. 

Tourism, which accounts for 30% of the region's jobs, successful 2025 declined 7.5% overall, the largest visitant driblet extracurricular of the pandemic since 1970, erstwhile the metropolis started tracking data. 

As lawyer general, Ford signed onto much than 40 lawsuits successful 2025 against the Trump administration, thing that volition fig prominently successful his effort to unseat Lombardo. 

Lombardo told Politico earlier this twelvemonth that helium is "concerned" astir reelection. 

 "Not lone due to the fact that of my re-elect but due to the fact that of Nevada, right?" Lombardo said. "What's the proverbial enactment — each authorities are local? It's nary longer that way. What's happening worldwide, nationally, either we clasp it oregon we don't."

Gill, the governmental scientist, said Lombardo volition person an "uphill battle" successful November. 

Nevada had voted for Democrats successful astir statesmanlike elections since 2008, and the authorities has 2 Democratic senators. But the state's system is heavy babelike connected tourism, which was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdowns, starring Nevadans to ballot Lombardo into bureau arsenic politician successful 2022. Two years later, Mr. Trump won the authorities by 3 points.