Attorney General Aaron Ford is projected to defeat Gov. Joe Lombardo and become Nevada's first Black governor

What happened

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, is projected to win the governor's race and unseat Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo, KTNV reported. The Associated Press called the race early Wednesday morning with 85% of the votes counted and Ford ahead by seven percentage points, according to KTNV.

Earlier, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that preliminary results released at 12:33 a.m. Wednesday showed Ford at 51.3 percent and Lombardo at 44.7 percent. The Review-Journal described the contest as the state's highest profile race. KTNV noted that nonpartisan candidate Danielle Ford was also on the ballot.

Who the governor-elect is

Ford is 54 and has served as attorney general since 2019, according to KTNV. The station reported that he will become Nevada's first Black governor.

Lombardo was elected governor in 2022 after serving as Clark County sheriff, KTNV reported. In that race he defeated incumbent Democrat Steve Sisolak, the Review-Journal noted.

Election night at the two campaigns

Ford urges patience on the count

Ford spoke at the Nevada State Democratic Party's official event shortly before the state began reporting results, the Review-Journal reported, and KTNV placed the watch party in downtown Las Vegas. Partway through his remarks, he told a crowd of a couple of hundred people that he had been told he was leading.

He said he would not declare victory until every vote was counted. "I will not claim a victory that has not been earned," Ford said, according to the Review-Journal. In a 20-minute speech, he listed housing, affordability, healthcare, and energy and water as his governing priorities.

Lombardo tells supporters to stay upbeat

Lombardo spoke at the Durango hotel-casino shortly after 9 p.m., the Review-Journal reported. He told hundreds of supporters to expect Ford to lead in the first batches of results, pointing to 2022 returns that at first appeared to favor Sisolak. "We are worried about Nevada," Lombardo said, according to the Review-Journal.

In a sign of confidence, the governor's office on Tuesday released a list of policy priorities Lombardo would pursue in a second term, the Review-Journal reported.

How the campaign played out

Attacks, ads and no debate

For months, the campaigns and their allies traded attacks backed by millions of dollars in fundraising and constant advertising, according to the Review-Journal. Democrats tried to tie Lombardo to President Donald Trump's economic policies, while Republicans criticized Ford's record as attorney general and his proposals. No debate between the two took place, the Review-Journal reported, breaking a longstanding tradition.

Ads from the pro-Lombardo Better Nevada PAC criticized Ford's votes on the Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners for sentence relief for inmates convicted in killings. A Review-Journal investigation found Lombardo had also voted in favor of people convicted in similar crimes, though less often.

High-profile endorsements

Trump endorsed Lombardo a year ago and repeated that support on Election Day in a post on X calling him a "strong and very popular governor," the Review-Journal reported. Read more about that Election Day post backing Lombardo. Ford was endorsed by former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who campaigned with him in Las Vegas.

Part of a larger Democratic night

KTNV reported that Ford's win came on a strong day for Democrats in Nevada and nationally, including in the lieutenant governor's race, where Sandra Jauregui is projected to unseat Republican incumbent Stavros Anthony. See our coverage of Democrats sweeping Nevada's statewide offices. In Clark County, some voters reported waiting two to three hours, and officials said high turnout contributed to delays in reported results, the Review-Journal noted. More on the three-hour voting lines.

What to watch next

• Counting of the remaining ballots, which Ford said must be completed before he would claim victory.
• How Ford moves on the priorities he outlined: housing, affordability, healthcare, and energy and water.
• Final results in Nevada legislative races, where the Review-Journal reported Democrats leading most Assembly and Senate contests in early returns.
• The Republican-held 2nd Congressional District, where the Review-Journal reported Democrats held a lead early Wednesday.