Democrats rally around Ford’s bid to become Nevada governor

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford greets supporters during an event held to announce his campaign for Nevada governor, Monday, July 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. Photo by: Wade Vandervort

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

Nevada’s Democratic machine appeared to make its pick in the 2026 gubernatorial race Monday, as some of the party’s most prominent members came out for Attorney General Aaron Ford’s campaign launch.

Along with U.S. Reps. Dina Titus and Steven Horsford, state party chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno and other state legislators were at the East Las Vegas Community Center for the kickoff. Democratic U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen backed Ford before the launch.

Nevada families “work hard, they play by the rules, but they can’t get ahead because prices are too high, jobs are too scarce and it feels like the deck is stacked against them,” Ford told the hundreds-strong crowd. “You know what? It is. And that’s why … I’m running to be the next governor.”

The wave of support comes a week after Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill, another Democrat, said she’d be entering the race. Former Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak told The New York Times in April that he was thinking about throwing his hat in the ring as well.

If elected, Ford would be the state’s first Black governor.

Monday’s event offered a better idea of Ford’s line of attack against current Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo: tying the former sheriff to President Donald Trump’s policies such as the One Big Beautiful Bill and a growing list of executive orders reshaping the federal government.

“The governor said that we should be excited about Trump’s betrayal of (a) tax bill,” Ford said, highlighting slashes to Medicaid and SNAP. “All of this to pay for tax cuts for billionaires while increasing the national deficit by $3 trillion. That’s not leadership. That’s letting us down.”

He connected those policies to his upbringing, telling the story of once eating stale candy bars his father found next to a dumpster for dinner. It was food stamps that prevented him from going hungry and Medicaid that ensured he could see a doctor, Ford said.

The attorney general also emphasized Lombardo’s record number of vetoes over the past two legislative sessions.

Several policies Lombardo killed — such as blocking Wall Street from buying up local homes, curtailing “price fixing” of essential goods and preserving universal free breakfast and lunch at schools throughout the state — made up Ford’s announced platform.

Lombardo’s campaign didn’t respond to the Sun’s request for comment. It did send a statement to The New York Times touting Lombardo’s efforts in expanding school choice and increasing funding for attainable housing with a $180 million bill.

Nevada Assemblymember Cecelia González, D-Las Vegas, highlighted Ford’s record for bipartisanship while serving as state Senate majority leader from 2016-18. Ford worked with Democrats and Republicans to get a balanced budget and “deliver real results for Nevadans,” she said.

Speaking to the Sun about Lombardo’s relationship with legislative Democrats, she said he is “not even able to engage in collaborative work,” adding that “at the end of the day, it’s what he can do for Trump.”

State Sen. Fabian Doñate, D-Las Vegas, shared Ford’s Spanish-language launch ad on social media Monday, writing that Ford’s administration would create greater opportunities for Nevada’s Latino community.

“Finally, a candidate for governor in Nevada who speaks our language, understands our struggles, and will fight for our families,” Doñate wrote in Spanish.

González highlighted Ford’s legal challenges against the Trump administration, citing his efforts to combat the president’s attempt to end birthright citizenship. He also joined a lawsuit against the White House over its dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.

Despite the attacks on Lombardo and Trump, Ford emphasized his commitment to bipartisanship. The attorney general noted that he had also sued President Joe Biden’s administration while it was in office.

“He has stood up against injustice. He has fought corruption at the highest levels. As attorney general, he cleared a long backlog of rape kits,” Titus said about Ford. “He is respected, he is admired and with your help, he will be governor.”

[email protected] / 702-990-8923 / @Kyle_Chouinard