Aaron Ford edges past Joe Lombardo in latest poll for Nevada governor

Aaron Ford maintains a slim advantage over incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in the most recent Emerson College Polling/KLAS-TV survey of likely Nevada voters for the 2026 gubernatorial contest. The poll, conducted September 5‑8 among 680 likely voters and carrying a credibility interval of ±3.7 percentage points, shows Ford at 44 percent support, Lombardo at 42 percent, with 11 percent undecided. This represents a slight shift from a November 2025 Emerson survey in which the two candidates were tied at 41 percent each. Spencer Kimball, enforcement manager of Emerson College Polling, provided the breakdown: “Ford leads among Hispanic voters by 31 percent points, 51% to 20%, and among women by 11 points, 48% to 37%.” Lombardo, meanwhile, leads among white voters by 13 points, 51% to 38%, and among men by six points, 47% to 41%. Favorability ratings also differ. Forty‑nine percent of respondents view Lombardo favorably and 39 percent unfavorably, while Ford receives 41 percent favorable and 38 percent unfavorable assessments. On job performance, 40 percent approve of Lombardo’s work as governor, 39 percent disapprove and 21 percent remain neutral. The survey also gauged opinions on former President Donald Trump, finding 37 percent of likely voters approve of his handling of the presidency and 55 percent disapprove. Las Vegas tourism figures provide additional context. Visitor volume dropped 7.5 percent in 2025 to 38.5 million, a decline analysts attribute to a combination of Trump‑era tariffs, inflation and immigration policies that deterred international travel. Although overall visitation rose 0.5 percent in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport is down 6.9 percent over that span. Ford’s campaign has sought to tie Lombardo to Trump, a strategy that appears to be gaining traction. Zoë Kleinfeld, Ford’s campaign manager, stated: “Under Joe Lombardo, Nevada families are paying much more and struggling to find work, while Lombardo puts cheerleading for Trump above serving working families.” She added: “Aaron Ford has spent his career fighting to lower costs and create good‑paying jobs. He won’t stop until Nevada is a place Nevadans can actually afford to call home — that is the choice