Three candidates are on Nevada's ballot for governor, alongside its “None of these candidates” option.
The Stated Record analysis: Tilt Republican
Updated September 3, 2026
Who is running?
Printed ballot candidates
Aaron D. FordDemocratic
Danielle FordNo Political Party
Joseph LombardoRepublican
The ballot also includes “None of these candidates,” a ballot option, not a person.
Source: Clark County Election Department general-election ballot order
Checked September 2, 2026
Voter guide
The candidates, side by side
Background comes from government or official office records, and from the campaign's own biography where the bullet says so. Goals are summarized from each campaign's own platform page and stay attributed to the campaign. The record lines are official votes, sponsorships, and filings with the government source attached. Money is shown as filed, by the type the FEC records for the contributing committee, and is not evidence of why any position was taken. Money rows are itemized receipts from political committees; transfers from joint fundraising committees and the conduit entries for earmarked individual contributions sit on their own rows and are not additive with the rest; other memo entries, reimbursements, and receipts from organizations that are not political committees are excluded; each candidate's note gives the filing window and the reconciliation to the FEC summary.
Nevada joined a $1.7 billion settlement with student loan company Navient. His office said 592 Nevadans would get $17.1 million in loan cancellation. Office of the Nevada Attorney General
SB 35, filed on behalf of his office, became law. It made 28 grams of illegally made fentanyl a trafficking crime. Nevada Legislature, Nevada Legislature
More school funding, spent better, with closer checks on education contracts. The Nevada Independent
Less power held by the governor's office. She points to a 2011 law that lets the governor appoint members of the State Board of Education. The Nevada Independent
Guardrails on AI and technology, including data centers, water and energy. Ballotpedia
Our synthesis uses the median-style ordinal rule described in Methodology. It is our analysis, not another independent rating.
What to know
The race in context
The registered coverage compiles candidates' stated positions. Those first-party assertions are not independent confirmation and remain unpublished here.
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Candidate records
The field, without the campaign gloss
Current public roles come from government sources. Campaign-finance IDs come from the FEC.
Profile links show what is public now, not a complete archive. Each link was confirmed through the campaign site unless a note says otherwise. Individual social posts enter the evidence record only with a post URL, date, context, and review note.
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Issue comparison
What each campaign says
These are attributed platform positions, not promises The Stated Record has verified or endorsed.
Would expand down payment help for nurses, teachers, military families and first responders, and let families buy homes without competing against out-of-state investors and corporate buyers.
No Nevada home or business should see power rates rise to pay for data centers. Every tax break, data centers' included, should be tied to goals on power, water and local jobs.
The number of cards varies with what each candidate's official record supports, and every card carries the same required parts: what they say, what the official record shows, one label from the fixed list, and its limit. Each card is labeled narrowly, by rule. A single vote, sponsorship, or filing can match one claim without proving a candidate's whole record, and a card never says why someone did something.
In January 2022, Nevada and other states settled with Navient for $1.7 billion. His office said 592 Nevadans would get $17,140,858 in loan cancellation and 3,952 would share $1,053,752 in payments.
Nevada joined 20 other attorneys general in suing on March 13, 2025. A federal court blocked the layoffs on May 22, 2025. On July 14, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court paused that order while the case goes on.
His consumer protection office challenged the charge and took it to court. On May 26, 2026, a Clark County judge ruled against his office, and he said he would appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.
A consent judgment filed April 15, 2026 in Clark County District Court has Roblox pay $10 million and check users' ages before they can chat, among other rules.
Senate Bill 35 was filed in November 2022 on behalf of the attorney general. It made 28 grams or more of illegally made fentanyl a trafficking crime; other drug trafficking starts at 100 grams. It became law on June 14, 2023. On April 18, 2024, his office won a unanimous Nevada Supreme Court ruling that upheld the state's 2021 ghost gun ban.
His campaign says that as Senate majority leader he sponsored the bill that created the Silver State Opportunity Grant, a college grant for low-income students.
“As state senate majority leader, Ford sponsored the bill to create the Silver State Opportunity Grant”
Senate Bill 227 created the grant in 2015. Its sponsors were Senators Kieckhefer, Kihuen, Harris and Woodhouse. Ford voted for it but was not a sponsor. He was minority leader that session.
Limit: In 2017, as majority leader, he was a lead sponsor of SB 391, which created a different community college scholarship, the Nevada Promise Scholarship. Two 2017 bills on the Silver State grant were filed by others and did not pass.
His campaign says data centers should get no new tax breaks until they prove they are keeping their side of the deal, and that he will re-examine the breaks they get now.
“stop awarding tax breaks for data centers until they prove that they're holding up their end of the bargain”
In 2015, as a state senator, he was one of six lead sponsors of Senate Bill 170, which created a partial tax break for new or expanding data centers. He voted for it; the Senate passed it 21 to 0, and it became law on June 9, 2015. The break is still in state law. It came with conditions: at least 10 Nevada employees, at least the statewide average wage, and at least $25 million invested, and a data center that stops meeting them has to repay the break.
The Legislature lists 75 bills he vetoed from the 2023 session and 86 from 2025. Its 2025 list leaves out SB 99, which he vetoed on June 2, 2025, so 2025 had 87, as his office said: 162 in all. The Legislature's veto history shows no governor with more than 56 from 1899 through 2015, and no later session with more than 41.
He signed Assembly Bill 540 on June 9, 2025. It puts $133 million from the state general fund into a new housing account and calls for up to $50 million in state bonds for housing loans: $183 million together.
On June 16, 2023, he vetoed Senate Bill 395. It would have capped home purchases by corporations and LLCs at 1,000 units a year statewide and made them register. His veto message called the cap arbitrary and said it would cut tax revenue, reduce new construction and discourage landlords when renters need more homes.
Limit: The veto was in 2023; the platform is from his 2026 campaign. A spokesperson now says he backs President Trump's efforts to stop corporate investors buying single-family homes.
He signed Senate Bill 35 on June 14, 2023. It made 28 grams or more of illegally made fentanyl a trafficking crime; other drug trafficking starts at 100 grams.
The rate did fall about 15%, from 1.378% to 1.17%, on July 1, 2023. But a 2015 state law cut it automatically because tax collections ran high. The Department of Taxation made that finding on September 30, 2022, before he took office.
He signed Senate Bill 503, the 2023-25 school funding bill, on May 31, 2023. The state Education Department called it the largest K-12 increase in state history: $2.6 billion more over two years.
On June 1, 2023, he vetoed AB 359, which would have let Clark County keep raising its fuel taxes each year after 2026 by a county commission vote instead of the public vote the law called for. His veto letter said voters should decide. On May 19, 2025, he signed AB 530, which also replaces the 2026 public vote: the increases continue if two-thirds of the county commission approve them by the end of 2026. Increases after 2036 need voter approval.
On February 20, 2024, he signed a letter from state attorneys general asking congressional leaders to reform PBM practices. It named three PBM bills it said deserve debate. On April 14, 2025, he signed another asking Congress to pass a law barring PBMs from owning or running pharmacies.
On June 9, 2025, he signed SB 498, which gives the state's colleges $10 million a year for two years to expand nursing programs. The money was in his proposed budget, and both chambers passed the bill with no votes against.
The Department of Taxation finds collections ran high enough, under a 2015 law, to cut the Modified Business Tax rate from 1.378% to 1.17% starting July 1, 2023.
Clark County's ballot order lists three candidates for governor: Aaron D. Ford (Democratic), Danielle Ford (no party) and Joseph Lombardo (Republican), plus "None of these candidates."
Clark County Election Department. Dated August 24, 2026. Lists the three candidates for governor and the separate 'None of these candidates' line. NPP means No Political Party. The county says the order may still change.
Nevada Secretary of State. Where governor candidates' contribution and expense reports are filed. It sits behind a security check, so this desk did not read it.
Committee to Elect Aaron Ford. Campaign site, signed 'Paid for by the Committee to Elect Aaron Ford'. Links his X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Bluesky accounts.
Danielle Ford campaign. Listed as her campaign site on Ballotpedia and BallotReady. It has no 'Paid for by' line, and no official record links it to her yet, so this desk does not quote it.
Ballotpedia. Carries her own answers to Ballotpedia's 2026 candidate survey. Also lists her campaign website and her campaign Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube accounts.
The Nevada Independent. Filing-week live coverage, first published March 2, 2026. The entry dated March 12, 2026 reports an interview with Danielle Ford.
The Nevada Independent. Candidate positions as reported by the paper. Used for Aaron D. Ford's stated position on taxes and for what Joseph Lombardo's spokesperson said about corporate home buyers.
Nevada Legislature. Bill history and digest: prefiled November 16, 2022; approved by the Governor June 14, 2023. Sets trafficking in illegally made fentanyl at 28 grams; other schedule I and II trafficking starts at 100 grams.
Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Dated April 18, 2024. Says a unanimous Nevada Supreme Court reversed a lower court and upheld the state's 2021 ghost gun ban, and thanks his staff who worked the case.
Supreme Court of Nevada (posted by the Office of the Nevada Attorney General). Filed April 18, 2024. Reverses a Lyon County ruling against the ghost gun statutes. Lists Aaron D. Ford, Attorney General, as counsel for the state.
Nevada Legislature. Bill history and digest: would have capped home purchases by corporations and LLCs at 1,000 units a year statewide and set up a registry. Vetoed by the Governor.
Nevada Legislature. Section 50 appropriates $133,000,000 to the Nevada Attainable Housing Account. Section 49.7 calls for not more than $50,000,000 in state general obligation bonds for housing loans.
Legislative Counsel Bureau Research Library. Table 4 shows the most vetoes by one governor through 2015 was 56 (Gibbons); Table 2 shows the most in one session was 48 (2009). It does not cover sessions before 1899. Compiled July 2015.
Office of the Governor. Says he signed 518 bills and vetoed 87 from the 2025 session, and names AB 540 the Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act.
Legislative Counsel Bureau, Fiscal Analysis Division. Explains that the Department of Taxation's September 30, 2022 finding triggered the 2015 law (SB 483, NRS 360.203) that cut the Modified Business Tax rate on July 1, 2023. Dated January 2025.
Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Gives Nevada's share: $1,053,752 in payments to 3,952 borrowers and $17,140,858 in loan cancellation for 592 borrowers.
Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Says Nevada joined 20 other attorneys general in suing on March 13, 2025, and a federal court granted a preliminary injunction on May 22, 2025.
Nevada Legislature. Bill history: created the grant program. Primary sponsors Senators Kieckhefer and Kihuen; co-sponsors Senators Harris and Woodhouse. Approved by the Governor June 8, 2015, Chapter 387.
Nevada Legislature. Bill history: lets community colleges award Nevada Promise Scholarships. Aaron Ford is one of its eight primary sponsors. Approved by the Governor June 8, 2017, Chapter 461.
Nevada Legislature. The version sent to the governor. Its first line names Senators Denis, Cancela, Woodhouse, Segerblom and Ford, then Harris and Ratti.
Nevada Legislature. Bill history: a partial tax break for new or expanding data centers. Primary sponsors Senators Roberson, Ford, Lipparelli and Harris and Assembly members Kirkpatrick and Hambrick. Approved by the Governor June 9, 2015, Chapter 498.
Nevada Legislature. The session law for SB 170, approved June 9, 2015. It starts on page 3041; page 3042 is the page the data center law's history cites.
Nevada Legislature. The data center tax break in state law today. Its history note says it was added in 2015 (page 3042, SB 170) and changed in 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Office of the Nevada Attorney General (Clark County District Court filing). Filed April 15, 2026, case A-26-944136-B. Roblox pays $10 million and must use age checks before users can chat, without admitting liability.
Nevada Legislature. Bill digest: would have let Clark County keep its yearly fuel tax increases after 2026 by commission vote instead of a public vote. Vetoed June 1, 2023.
Nevada Legislature. The version sent to the governor. Its digest says the yearly increases can continue if two-thirds of the county commission approve them by December 31, 2026, in place of the 2026 public vote.
Alaska Department of Law. Letter to congressional leaders asking for PBM reform and naming three bills, including the DRUG Act. Aaron D. Ford signed as Nevada Attorney General.
California Department of Justice. Letter asking Congress to bar PBMs and their affiliates from owning or running pharmacies. Aaron D. Ford signed as Nevada Attorney General. The signature page is read by OCR.
Nevada Legislature. Bill history: filed by the Senate Committee on Finance; fiscal note says the money was in the Executive Budget. Passed 21 to 0 and 41 to 0; approved by the Governor June 9, 2025, Chapter 412.
What this page includes, and what is not yet included.
As of Sep 26, 2026. Each area lists only what has passed its source check. How coverage works.
BallotIncluded
3 printed candidates, checked September 2, 2026 against the official election record.
Race outlookPartial
2 of 3 specialist ratings are current as of Sep 26, 2026. 1 stale rating stays visible with its date but is excluded from our analysis.
Reported contextNot yet
The registered coverage compiles candidates' stated positions. Those first-party assertions are not independent confirmation and remain unpublished here.
Words and recordIncluded
17 statement-to-action comparisons across 3 candidate records, each with a stated limitation.
Campaign financeNot yet
No campaign-finance snapshot is published for this race yet.
PollingNot yet
No published poll has been reviewed for this race yet.
No correction has been recorded for this race. Report an error.
Printed brief
Sources for this brief
Snapshot as of Sep 26, 2026. The live page may have changed since this copy was printed: https://statedrecord.com/races/nevada-governor-2026
Clark County Election Department general-election ballot orderhttps://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:1db09a57-4c1b-47e1-94d9-e7782c442571/original/as/officesup-26g.pdf
Cook Political Report governor ratingshttps://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/governor-race-ratings