Timeline for Aaron Ford
Took Nevada's governorship from the Republicans
US Midterms 2026: Democrats win the Senate and the HouseBackground
Aaron Ford has been Attorney General of Nevada since January 2019. NBC News projected that he took Nevada's governorship from the Republican incumbent, Joe Lombardo, in the 3 November 2026 election, on unofficial counts. NBC showed him on 51.7% to Lombardo's 44.2% with 88% counted on 4 November.
Ford was the first African American to hold a statewide constitutional office in Nevada. He led the Democrats in the Nevada Senate, as minority leader from 2014 and majority leader from 2016 to 2018. He won the June 2026 Democratic primary for governor with 66.2%.
Nevada was one of two governorships Democrats took from Republicans, with Georgia. The state was also one of three the Justice Department named in September for its election monitors.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 5 November 2026. Editorial standards.