2026 Nevada gubernatorial election
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| Elections in Nevada |
|---|
 |
|
Nevada portal |
The 2026 Nevada gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Nevada. Incumbent Republican governor Joe Lombardo is running for re-election to a second term in office.
Background
Nevada is considered to be a purple state at the federal and state levels, with neither party having control of all three branches of government. Apart from the governor, Nevada's lieutenant governor and state controller are Republicans. Nevada's attorney general, treasurer, and state secretary of state are Democrats.
The Nevada Legislature is controlled by members of the Democratic Party, with a majority in both the state assembly and senate. The lieutenant governor, a Republican, serves as the president of the state senate but only votes in the case of a tie. At the federal level, both United States Senators and three out of four members of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada are Democrats.[1][2]
With the exception of 2018, Republicans have won every gubernatorial election in the state since 1998.[3]
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Irina Hansen, salon owner and candidate for mayor of Las Vegas in 2024[4]
- Joe Lombardo, incumbent governor (2023–present), former Sheriff of Clark County (2015–2023)[5]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Aaron Ford, Nevada Attorney General (2019–present)[6]
Announcement pending
- Alexis Hill, Washoe County commissioner (2020–present)[7]
Publicly expressed interest
- Steve Sisolak, former governor (2019–2023)[8][9]
Declined
- Sandra Jauregui, majority leader of the Nevada Assembly (2023–present) from the 41st district (2016–present)[10]
- Steve Yeager, Speaker of the Nevada Assembly (2022–present) from the 9th district (2016–present)[10]
Endorsements
Aaron Ford
- U.S. senators
- Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. senator from Nevada (2017–present)[11]
- Jacky Rosen, U.S. senator from Nevada (2019–Present)[12]
- U.S. representatives
- Steven Horsford, U.S. representative from Nevada's 4th congressional district (2013–2015, 2019–present)[13]
- Susie Lee, U.S. representative from Nevada's 3rd congressional district (2019–present)[14]
- Dina Titus, U.S. representative from Nevada's 1st congressional district (2009–2011, 2013–present)[13]
- State legislators
- Cecelia González, state assemblymember from the 16th district (2020–present)[13]
- Daniele Monroe-Moreno, speaker pro tempore of the Nevada Assembly (2023–present) from the 1st district (2016–present) and chair of the Nevada Democratic Party (2023–present)[13]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[15] | Tossup | January 23, 2025 |
| Inside Elections[16] | Battleground | February 6, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[17] | Lean R | May 1, 2025 |
| Race to the WH[18] | Tilt R | June 30, 2025 |
Polling
- Joe Lombardo vs. Aaron Ford
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Joe Lombardo (R) |
Aaron Ford (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote TXT[19][A] | May 15–19, 2023 | 412 (RV) | ± 4.7% | 51% | 30% | 7%[b] | 12% |
See also
Notes
- Partisan clients
- ^ Poll commissioned by Nevada Newsmakers
References
- ^ "Election Results, 2022". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Election Results, 2024". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024.
- ^ Mueller, Tabitha; Golonka, Sean; Solis, Jacob (November 11, 2022). "Lombardo defeats Sisolak; Democrats win attorney general, secretary of state races". The Nevada Independent. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022.
- ^ "Irina Hansen announces candidacy for Nevada governor in 2026 race". KSNV. June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ Mueller, Tabitha (April 7, 2024). "'You have to grow into it:' Joe Lombardo's rise from beat cop to governor". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
Lombardo said he's looking forward to running for re-election in 2026.
- ^ Seeman, Matthew (July 28, 2025). "Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford formally launches campaign for governor". KSNV. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ^ Robison, Mark (July 21, 2025). "Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill confirms she's running for Nevada governor in 2026". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Browning, Kellen (April 11, 2025). "Swept Out of Office by Covid, a Democratic Governor Eyes a Comeback". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ Browning, Kellen (July 28, 2025). "Nevada Democrats Spot an Opportunity in a Vulnerable G.O.P. Governor". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ a b Neugeboren, Eric; Aldrete, Isabella (August 11, 2025). "Top two Democrats in Nevada Assembly won't run for re-election, may seek other offices". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- ^ Chouinard, Kyle (July 24, 2025). "Sen. Cortez Masto endorses Attorney General Ford for Nevada governor". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ Sheridan, Kevin (July 28, 2025). "Rosen endorses Ford for Governor". KOLO-TV. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Hill, Jessica (July 28, 2025). "Attorney General Aaron Ford launches bid for Nevada governor". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (July 29, 2025). "Morning Digest: Trumpworld wanted him to run for Senate. Now they're furious at him". Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "Governor Forecast - 2026-2026". Race to the WH. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ "Nevada Newsmakers Survey Spring 2023". Nevada Newsmakers. May 22, 2023. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
External links
- Official campaign websites