Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford speaks to supporters during an election-night gathering in Las Vegas on Nov. 3, 2026. After an audience member handed him a SKOR candy bar, Ford recalled his father’s long hours stocking grocery shelves and bringing home stale candy bars for the family. Later, Ford reacted to an update showing him ahead by seven percentage points.

Aaron Ford Unseats Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo in Historic Democratic Win

By Tricia Chérie

November 11, 2026

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Special Report: Election 2026: The US Midterms

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2026 Midterm Elections, Aaron Ford, Democratic Party, Donald Trump, Election Night 2026, Historic Elections, Joe Lombardo, Nevada Election 2026, Nevada Governor, Nevada Politics

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(STAFFORD, Va.) — Democrat Aaron Ford defeated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Tuesday, becoming Nevada’s first Black governor-elect and returning the governor’s office to Democratic control.

The Associated Press called the race just before dawn, handing Democrats another win in a state that backed Trump in 2024.

As ballots were still being tallied, Ford took the stage in Las Vegas to speak to supporters who were watching the numbers shift in real time.

Ford recalled how his father worked long hours stocking grocery shelves and sometimes brought home stale candy bars for the family. When an audience member handed him a SKOR bar, Ford held it up as the crowd laughed and applauded.

Halfway through his remarks, Ford learned he was up by seven points. The room cheered, but he stayed focused on Nevada’s diversity and his responsibility to represent all its communities.

He moved between English and Spanish as he spoke. When he thanked his sons, he paused, emotion clear, before continuing.

“Cowardice is contagious, but so is courage,” he told supporters.

As attorney general since 2019, Ford put affordability at the center of his campaign. He pointed to Lombardo and Trump’s economic policies as drivers of higher costs, arguing that tariffs were squeezing Nevada’s tourism-heavy economy.

He called out Lombardo for vetoing bills on housing and free school meals and pushed back against new tax breaks for AI data centers.

Lombardo, who won the governor’s seat in 2022 after serving as Clark County sheriff, defended his record on schools, housing, and jobs. He pointed to pay raises for teachers and state workers and argued that Ford’s plans would raise costs and scare off investment. He also tried to distance himself from some of Trump’s policies. Ford already broke barriers as Nevada’s first Black Senate majority leader and attorney general. Now he’s set to become the first Black governor ever elected in any state west of the Mississippi River.

Ford’s win capped a night of sweeping Democratic gains. For the first time since 1962, Democrats took all six statewide constitutional offices, according to The Nevada Independent.

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