2026 Nevada gubernatorial election
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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)[5]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Aaron Ford, Nevada Attorney General (2019–present)[6]
Publicly expressed interest
- Steve Sisolak, former governor (2019–2023)[7]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[8] | Tossup | January 23, 2025 |
| Inside Elections[9] | Battleground | February 6, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[10] | Lean R | May 1, 2025 |
| Race to the WH[11] | 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[12][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.
- ^ Robison, Mark (February 12, 2025). "Too soon? 2026 Nevada gubernatorial race starts with Lombardo, Ford out of the gates first". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
Asked Wednesday to confirm his plans, his campaign team responded, 'Yes, General Ford does intend to run for governor in 2026.'
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.