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Governor · All Nevada races

Nevada

Lean DLikely flip · R → D
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Republicans hold this seat today (current holder); Democrats are favored: 65 in 100 that it changes hands.

Aaron Ford
Democratic
65 in 100
50–50chance of winning, out of 100
Joe Lombardo
Republican · incumbent
35 in 100

Aaron Ford wins in 65 of 100 simulations.

The polling average has Aaron Ford +1.2 across 2 polls; partisan lean, the national environment and incumbency point to Aaron Ford +5.8. Polls get 90% of the weight 15 days out.

Where the result could land

Every simulated outcome, grouped in 2-point steps. Projected margin Ford +1.7; 80 in 100 fall between Lombardo +3.8 and Ford +7.2.

Lombardo +30Lombardo +20Lombardo +10Ford +10Ford +20Ford +30Tie

The candidates

Aaron Ford
Democratic · American attorney and politician (born 1972)

Aaron Darnell Ford is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the 34th attorney general of Nevada since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a member of the Nevada Senate representing the 11th district from 2013 to 2018. He served as Nevada Senate majority and minority leader. Wikipedia

Official website ↗
Joe LombardoIncumbent
Republican · Governor of Nevada since 2023

Joseph Michael Lombardo is an American politician and former law enforcement officer serving since 2023 as the 31st governor of Nevada. From 2015 to 2023, he was the 17th sheriff of Clark County, capping a 34-year career in law enforcement. Lombardo is a member of the Republican Party. Wikipedia

Danielle Ford
Independent

Ballot list and short bios from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); websites from Wikidata.

Polls

The polling average stands at Ford +1.2 across 2 polls testing Aaron Ford against Joe Lombardo.

Ford +2.4 over the past 6 months
Lombardo +10Lombardo +5EvenFord +5Ford +10May 1Jun 1Jul 1Aug 1Sep 1Oct 1

Line: weighted average after adjustments; band: 95% range of the average; dots: individual polls after adjustments.

PollsterDatesSampleResultAdjustedWeight
Noble Predictive InsightsB−Sep 22–Sep 26800 RVLombardo +1.0Lombardo +0.90.66
Emerson CollegeA−
for KLAS-TV
Sep 5–Sep 8680 LVFord +2.2Ford +3.50.64
Noble Predictive InsightsB−Mar 10–Mar 13845 RVLombardo +1.0Ford +1.10.00
Hart Research AssociatesB+ · DEM sponsor
for Majority Institute
Feb 11–Feb 17800 LVLombardo +3.0Lombardo +0.90.00
Emerson CollegeA−Nov 16–Nov 18800 RVFord +0.0Ford +2.60.00
Noble Predictive InsightsB−Oct 7–Oct 13766 RVLombardo +3.0Ford +0.30.00

Chance of winning over time

How this race’s odds have moved as polls and the national environment changed.

Ford +6 over the past 3 months
020406080100Aug 1Sep 1Oct 1

Out of 100. Today: Ford 65, Lombardo 35.

What’s driving the forecast

The model blends each estimate by how much to trust it right now. Polls get 90% of the weight, 15 days out.

Polling average (after adjustments)Ford +1.2±4.9 sampling range; effective 2 polls
Partisan lean (Cook PVI, 2026 lines) R+1.0roughly 2 points of margin vs. the nation
National environment D+9.6generic ballot + presidential approval
Incumbent’s track record Ford +1.6In 2022 they ran 3.3 pts more Democratic than the state’s lean predicted; half carries over (max 10)
IncumbencyLombardo +4.0incumbent’s side
Fundamentals estimateFord +5.8±14 typical error
Expert ratings (average)Lombardo +0.4used only in the “+ Expert ratings” version
ForecastFord +1.7±4.3 standard deviation, including 2.3 for movement before Election Day

All three versions

  • Polls only: Aaron Ford 61 in 100 (Lean D)
  • Polls + fundamentals: Aaron Ford 65 in 100 (Lean D)
  • Polls + fundamentals + experts: Aaron Ford 62 in 100 (Lean D)

Published ratings

Other forecasters’ ratings, as listed on Wikipedia. Shown for comparison; they feed only the “+ Expert ratings” version.

Cook: TossupDDHQ: TossupFox News: TossupInside Elections: Tilt RRCP: TossupSabato: TossupSilver Bulletin: Tossup

County map

Counties colored by the 2024 presidential vote; on election night this switches to the live count in this race.

Esmeralda County, 2024 president: Republican +65.7 (461 votes)Lincoln County, 2024 president: Republican +72.6 (2,472 votes)Mineral County, 2024 president: Republican +35.6 (2,295 votes)Eureka County, 2024 president: Republican +77.8 (1,036 votes)Humboldt County, 2024 president: Republican +55.2 (8,030 votes)Washoe County, 2024 president: Democratic +1.0 (263,734 votes)Douglas County, 2024 president: Republican +32.9 (35,556 votes)Clark County, 2024 president: Democratic +2.6 (1,031,223 votes)Pershing County, 2024 president: Republican +54.9 (2,308 votes)Lander County, 2024 president: Republican +62.3 (2,725 votes)Storey County, 2024 president: Republican +38.9 (3,075 votes)Carson City County, 2024 president: Republican +11.3 (31,068 votes)White Pine County, 2024 president: Republican +57.0 (4,351 votes)Elko County, 2024 president: Republican +56.6 (22,465 votes)Nye County, 2024 president: Republican +42.2 (26,997 votes)Lyon County, 2024 president: Republican +44.4 (33,541 votes)Churchill County, 2024 president: Republican +50.2 (13,503 votes)
Color shows the 2024 presidential margin in each county. Hover or tap a county for its numbers.

2024 results: Fox News 2024 county results, compiled by Tony McGovern (github.com/tonmcg/US_County_Level_Election_Results_08-24). Not authoritative.

Rules and notes

  • Incumbent renominated

Governor races, closest first · this is #2 of 36