The Sun’s pick for Nevada governor: Aaron Ford

The Sun’s pick for Nevada governor: Aaron Ford Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026 | 2 a.m. The Las Vegas Sun has chosen Attorney General Aaron Ford as its preferred candidate for the state’s top office. Ford, who is running as a Democrat, appeared at a roundtable with Clark County School District teachers at Sedway Middle School in North Las Vegas on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. The event was photographed by Steve Marcus of the Las Vegas Sun. Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español. The incumbent governor, Joe Lombardo, has recorded both achievements and shortcomings during his tenure. In 2022, as a prominent Republican figure, he had the chance to state clearly that the 2020 election was conducted fairly and that Donald Trump lost legitimately. Instead, he avoided the question. His ongoing reluctance to inform Nevadans about election‑fraud claims has deepened skepticism toward democratic institutions. Combined with a pattern of aggressive veto use, this behavior shows a troubling disregard for procedural norms. Lawmakers draft statutes that reflect the public’s will. Lombardo’s repeated blocking of those measures amounts to a dismissal of voter sentiment. While occasional vetoes are acceptable, issuing 162 rejections in just two legislative sessions is excessive. By contrast, former Republican Governor Brian Sandoval accumulated 97 vetoes over four sessions. Among the measures Lombardo rejected were proposals to lower housing and prescription‑drug costs, fund universal free school lunches, bar firearms possession by convicted felons, and preserve access to in‑vitro fertilization. Regardless of policy disagreements between a governor and an opposition‑led legislature, his extensive reliance on unilateral authority epitomizes the antidemocratic conduct Nevadans should reject. Equally troubling is Lombardo’s continued alignment with Donald Trump and the most extreme factions of the Republican Party. This relationship matters for a state like Nevada, where Trump‑era trade wars, stringent immigration policies, and the mishandled Iran initiative have curtailed international travel, driven up consumer prices, and created uncertainty for businesses and workers. Visits from Canada, Nevada’s largest overseas tourism market, have fallen roughly 30% since Trump assumed office. We contend that the foremost danger to our values and way of life today is the Republican Party’s deference to Trump’s self‑aggrandizing impulses. Lombardo still appears alongside the former president while offering little substantive critique when his actions jeopardize Nevada’s interests. Voters deserve a leader willing to defend the state, even if that means breaking party loyalty. Aaron Ford presents a different record. As attorney general, his office has secured more than $1.2 cardinal in opioid‑related recoveries for Nevada, cleared the backlog of 7,814 sexual‑assault kits, prosecuted human traffickers and child predators, and pursued Medicaid‑fraud referrals at twice the national average. He has also challenged Trump’s agenda by filing or joining over 40 lawsuits against the administration. Ford is not above criticism. We question whether he will act differently than his predecessor when faced with difficult choices, rather than simply seeking the safest or most politically convenient path. Courage is essential when public lives and livelihoods hang in the balance. Should he win, we urge Ford to meet the challenge, address our reservations, and prioritize Nevada’s working families and the state’s broader interests. Lombardo had the opportunity to demonstrate resolve and instead chose silence in the face of Trump’s excesses while Nevadans bore the consequences. He does not merit a second term. The Sun recommends Aaron Ford as Nevada’s next governor. Read the full story at Las Vegas Sun →