Lombardo defends Nevada economic record, touts no new taxes

Lombardo Defends Nevada Economic Record, Promises No New Taxes FRIDAY, OCT. 16, 2026 — 3:18 P.M. Gov. Joe Lombardo made the case for his economic record at a roundtable Thursday, pointing to 100,000 new jobs and saying his administration has not enacted any tax increases. What he did not mention were record‑high state prices and a 7.5 % dip in Las Vegas tourism—issues his Democratic challenger, Attorney General Aaron Ford, has placed at the center of his campaign. The latest state jobs report shows a mixed outlook. Nevada’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.7 % in September, marking the fifth straight monthly decline and the lowest level since February 2020, just before the COVID‑19 pandemic began. However, part of that decline stems from workers leaving the labor force. Nevada’s labor pool contracted by more than 5,000 people in September, and the participation rate slipped to 62.3 %. The state’s unemployment rate remains 0.5 percentage point above the national average of 4.2 %. Job growth has also slowed. Nevada added 1,300 jobs in September, with gains concentrated in health care, business services and construction, according to DETR chief economist David Schmidt. Although Nevada led the nation in job growth early this year, it now ranks seventh. The slowdown mirrors a national trend: employers across the country added 29,000 jobs in September, well below the 90,000 economists had forecast, as economic uncertainty and higher borrowing costs make firms more cautious about hiring. At the roundtable, Lombardo was joined by business owners and leaders of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce, who credited his policies for their success. Tyler Corder, chief financial officer of Findlay Automotive Group, called the governor’s decision not to raise taxes “crucial,” especially for firms operating on thin margins. He noted that the company struggled in Oregon and California, which have stricter regulatory and tax regimes, and closed those locations while keeping its Nevada operations open. Read the full story at Las Vegas Sun →