2026 Nevada gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2026 United States gubernatorial elections.

2026 Nevada gubernatorial election

← 2022 November 3, 2026 2030 →

Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo Republican

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 to slightly blue 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. Donald Trump won the state in 2024, becoming the first Republican presidential nominee to win the state since 2004.

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]
• Matthew Winterhawk, businessman^[6]

Endorsements

Joe Lombardo

Executive branch officials

• Donald Trump, 45th and 47th president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)^[7]

Labor unions

• Clark County Education Association^[8]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Aaron Ford, Nevada attorney general (2019–present)^[9]
• Alexis Hill, Washoe County commission chair (2023–present) from the 1st district (2021–present)^[10]

Publicly expressed interest

• Steve Sisolak, former governor (2019–2023)^[11]

Declined

• Sandra Jauregui, majority leader of the Nevada Assembly (2023–present) from the 41st district (2016–present)^[12] (running for lieutenant governor, endorsed Ford)^[13]
• Steve Yeager, speaker of the Nevada Assembly (2022–present) from the 9th district (2016–present)^[12]

Endorsements

Aaron Ford

U.S. senators

• Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada (2017–present)^[14]
• Jacky Rosen, Nevada (2019–Present)^[15]

U.S. representatives

• Steven Horsford, NV-04 (2013–2015, 2019–present)^[16]
• Susie Lee, NV-03 (2019–present)^[17]
• Dina Titus, NV-01 (2009–2011, 2013–present)^[16]

State legislators

• Reuben D'Silva, state assemblymember from the 28th district (2022–present)^[18]
• Cecelia González, state assemblymember from the 16th district (2020–present)^[16]
• Sandra Jauregui, majority leader of the Nevada Assembly from the 41st district (2016–present)^[18]
• 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)^[16]
• David Orentlicher, state assemblymember from the 20th district (2020–present)^[18]
• Selena Torres, state assemblymember from the 3rd district (2019–present)^[18]
• Fabian Doñate, state senator from the 10th district (2021–present)^[19]

Labor unions

• Nevada State Education Association^[20]

Organizations

• End Citizens United^[21]
• Reproductive Freedom for All^[22]
• Jewish Democratic Council of America^[23]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[24]	Tossup	September 11, 2025
Inside Elections[25]	Tilt R	August 28, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball[26]	Lean R	September 4, 2025
Race to the WH[27]	Tossup	November 25, 2025

Polling

Joe Lombardo vs. Aaron Ford

Aggregate polls

Source of poll aggregation	Dates administered	Dates updated	Joe Lombardo (R)	Aaron Ford (D)	Other/Undecided[a]	Margin
Race to the WH[28]	May 15 – November 18, 2025	November 24, 2025	41.1%	39.5%	19.4%	Lombardo +1.6%
RealClearPolitics[29]	October 7 – November 18, 2025	November 24, 2025	40.5%	39.0%	20.5%	Lombardo +1.5%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[b]	Margin of error	Joe Lombardo (R)	Aaron Ford (D)	Other	Undecided
Emerson College[30]	November 16–18, 2025	800 (RV)	± 3.4%	41%	41%	0%	18%
Noble Predictive Insights[31]	October 7–13, 2025	766 (RV)	± 3.5%	40%	37%	–	23%
Vote TXT[32][A]	May 15–19, 2023	412 (RV)	± 4.7%	51%	30%	7%[c]	12%

See also

• 2026 United States gubernatorial elections

Notes

1. Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.
2. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
3. "Some other candidate" with 7%

Partisan clients

1. Poll commissioned by Nevada Newsmakers

References

1. "Election Results, 2022". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022.
2. "Election Results, 2024". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024.
3. 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.
4. "Irina Hansen announces candidacy for Nevada governor in 2026 race". KSNV. June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
5. Aldrete, Isabella; Adams, Kiara; Neugeboren, Eric (September 15, 2025). "Joe Lombardo launches re-election bid for Nevada governor". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
6. "Election 2026: Tracking Nevada candidate announcements". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
7. Robison, Mark (November 6, 2025). "President Trump endorses Lombardo in Nevada governor's race". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
8. "Major Clark County teachers union endorses Republican Joe Lombardo for Nevada governor". Retrieved November 10, 2025.
9. Seeman, Matthew (July 28, 2025). "Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford formally launches campaign for governor". KSNV. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
10. "Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill officially enters Nevada Governor's race". KTVN. September 4, 2025. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Margiott, Kenzie (October 20, 2025). "Assembly majority leader Sandra Jauregui launches campaign for Nevada lieutenant governor". mynews4.com. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
14. Chouinard, Kyle (July 24, 2025). "Sen. Cortez Masto endorses Attorney General Ford for Nevada governor". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
15. Sheridan, Kevin (July 28, 2025). "Rosen endorses Ford for Governor". KOLO-TV. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
16. Hill, Jessica (July 28, 2025). "Attorney General Aaron Ford launches bid for Nevada governor". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
17. 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.
18. Chouinard, Kyle (September 15, 2025). "Nevada Dems coalescing around Ford for governor". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
19. Gentry, Dana (July 28, 2025). "Ford promises 'you matter' state government if elected to top spot • Nevada Current". Nevada Current. Retrieved November 22, 2025. Doñate, who has endorsed Ford, said he considered the wisdom of making a commitment at this early stage of the race, but says he likely would have heard from other interested candidates.
20. "NSEA Endorses Aaron Ford for Governor". NSEA. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
21. "End Citizens United Endorses Aaron Ford for Governor of Nevada". endcitizensunited.org. October 28, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
22. "Reproductive Freedom for All Endorses Aaron Ford for Governor and Nicole Cannizzaro for Attorney General". Reproductive Freedom for All. August 29, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
23. "New JDCA Endorsees". Jewish Democratic Council of America. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
24. "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
25. "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
26. "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
27. "Governor Forecast - 2026-2026". Race to the WH. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
28. "2026 Governor Polling". Race to the White House. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
29. "2026 Nevada Governor - Lombardo vs. Ford". RealClearPolitics.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
30. "Nevada 2026 Poll: Dead Heat for Governor, U.S. Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto Underwater". Emerson College. November 21, 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
31. Sebelius, Steve (October 21, 2025). "New poll shows Lombardo has slight lead in 2026 governor matchup". KTNV. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
32. "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

• Aaron Ford (D) for Governor
• Irina Hansen (R) for Governor
• Alexis Hill (D) for Governor
• Joe Lombardo (R) for Governor
• Matthew Winterhawk (R) for Governor