Photo: via Wikimedia Commons (public domain). File photo, October 2023.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has won the state's governor race, defeating incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo and becoming the first Black governor in Nevada's history. The Associated Press called the race for Ford early on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, with NBC News and other outlets also projecting his victory.
With about 85 percent of the vote reported, Ford led Lombardo by roughly 51.5 percent to 44.3 percent, according to the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal. Nevada continues to count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive in the days after the election, so the final margin may shift, but the outcome is not in doubt. As with all election-night calls, the result remains subject to final tabulation and certification by Nevada election officials.
A historic first for Nevada
Ford, 54, will be Nevada's first Black governor, and the first Black governor of a state west of the Mississippi River. He has already made history twice in the state: as its first Black Senate majority leader and, since 2019, as its first Black attorney general.
Lombardo, 63, was first elected governor in 2022 after serving as sheriff of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. His defeat ends a single term in office and returns the governor's mansion to Democrats for the first time since Lombardo beat Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak in 2022.
How Ford won
Ford campaigned on affordability, housing, education, health care and protecting access to abortion, in a race widely rated as one of the most competitive governor contests in the country. Nevada, a battleground state that President Donald Trump carried in 2024 with 50.6 percent of the vote, was a top target for both parties.
The result also gives Nevada Democrats a shot at unified control of state government: the party already holds majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature, so Ford will enter office with a legislative majority aligned with his agenda, though disagreements over taxes, education spending, public safety and the state's business climate are expected to remain.
Part of a Democratic night
Ford's win extends a midterm night defined by Democratic gains and historic firsts. Democrats took control of both the US House and Senate on Tuesday, and flipped governor's offices in Texas, Georgia and Florida — results already covered on this blog. Nevada, which will play a critical role in the next presidential election, now joins that list.
Ford is scheduled to take office in January 2027. Lombardo remains governor until then.
Sources: Associated Press election results and race call, November 4, 2026; Wall Street Journal live midterm coverage, November 4, 2026; Fox News, November 4, 2026; USA TODAY live election coverage, November 4, 2026. Results are projections and remain subject to certification.