# Aaron Ford **Aaron Ford** (b. 1972) has been the Democratic Attorney General of Nevada since 2019 and is the **Democratic nominee for Governor of Nevada in 2026**, running against Republican incumbent [[Joe Lombardo]]. Before becoming attorney general he was Majority Leader of the Nevada State Senate (2016–18). ## Attorney general Ford has been one of the most active members of the Democratic attorneys general bloc that litigates against the Trump administration (see [[State AG Coalition v. Trump]]). Most notably, he co-led, with California's [[Rob Bonta]], the multistate challenge to Trump's 2025 executive order on elections. For a swing-state AG, the election-law docket doubles as a campaign platform. ## The 2026 race On **June 9, 2026**, Ford won the Democratic primary with **63.3%**, beating Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill (23.9%) and several minor candidates. Lombardo took 90.8% of the Republican primary. Trump endorsed Lombardo in November 2025. The general election is one of the closest governor's races in the country. Early-to-mid September polls ranged from a small Lombardo lead (Decision Desk HQ average: Lombardo 45.6, Ford 42.9) to a small Ford lead (Emerson, September 5–8: Ford 44, Lombardo 42). The race is a direct test of whether a Trump-endorsed incumbent can hold a state Trump carried in 2024. ## Why he matters here A Ford win would add a governor who built his profile on suing the administration, in a swing state whose governor helps shape how the 2028 election is run. The race is also a measure of [[Joe Lombardo]]'s strategy of working with a Democratic legislature while staying aligned with Trump. ## See also - [[Joe Lombardo]] · [[Rob Bonta]] · [[State AG Coalition v. Trump]] - [[2026 Governor Races Hub]] · [[2026 Key State Races Hub]] · [[2026 Midterms Hub]] · [[State Officials Hub]]