Aaron Ford has gained momentum in the Nevada governor race as early voting and late national Democratic advertising narrow the gap with Joe Lombardo. The race enters its final stretch with Election Day nine days away, and Ford’s rise has made the contest one of the country’s closest governor races.
Early votes and late ads
The shift has come from two places at once. Early vote totals in Nevada have been good news for Democrats, while national Democrats gave Ford a late seven-figure advertising boost after pro-Lombardo groups spent all summer attacking him.
That late spending matters because it arrived after months of outside pressure on Ford. It also gives his campaign a final push in a race where small changes in turnout and persuasion can matter more than broad campaign themes.
Lombardo’s final week
Joe Lombardo, the first-term Republican governor, has leaned on in-person campaigning in the closing days. Nine days before Election Day, he visited the St. George & St. Dimitrie Romanian Orthodox Church in Las Vegas and told voters, “Your vote matters in the state of Nevada, and unfortunately, when there isn't a president on the ballot, people tend to be a little apathetic and they don't show up.” He added, “We gotta change that.”
On Friday, he canvassed in Reno and said, “I found out early on when I was a sheriff, even way before I was sheriff as a police officer … we don't have that complete understanding of the community, especially when you're a young police officer” and “As you move forward in your career, you understand you're only successful as the trust you.” Lia Roberts, who serves as president of the parish council and honorary consul for the Romanian Consulate, was there as well.
Nevada’s recent races
The stakes reach beyond one governorship. Catherine Cortez Masto won re-election in 2022 despite a hostile midterm environment, and Jim Gibbons won in 2006 despite a nationwide blue wave. Those results show Nevada can still split against national conditions, even when the broader political climate leans one way.
Ford’s improving position does not erase Lombardo’s advantages. His favorability ratings remain double digits higher than Donald Trump’s, a gap that helps explain why the governor can still hold support even as the race moves toward Ford.
Whether Ford’s late momentum is enough to beat Lombardo on Election Day will be settled by the vote, and the result will decide whether Nevada keeps a Republican governor or turns the office over to the Democratic challenger.
