Aaron Ford closes his Nevada governor campaign on affordability, asking Trump for $2,000 gas refunds

What happened

Attorney General Aaron Ford, the Democratic candidate for Nevada governor, is ending his campaign on the same theme he started with: what Nevadans pay, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Last week Ford signed a letter asking President Donald Trump to reimburse Nevada households $2,000 for rising gas costs. He also asked his opponent, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, to sign it.

Ford held a news conference on gas prices on Oct. 22 outside a Circle K at Spring Mountain Road and Arville Street, according to a Sun photo caption. You can follow more of the race in our Nevada elections coverage.

Where Nevada gas prices stand

Diesel near a record

On Wednesday, diesel averaged $6.85 per gallon in Nevada, just under the record of $6.87 per gallon set on Oct. 21, according to AAA figures cited by the Sun.

Regular gas third highest in the country

Regular unleaded averaged $5.27 per gallon, the third highest in the nation behind California and Hawaii, AAA said. That is about $1 above the national average of $4.25.

Why costs have climbed

The Sun reported that fuel prices have surged worldwide after steep drops in oil exports from Russia and Saudi Arabia, tied to the long war in Ukraine and the war with Iran that began Feb. 28. Since the Strait of Hormuz closed, Trump has tried to bring prices down. But Middle East refineries damaged by Iranian attacks have limited supply and his success.

Where the $2,000 figure comes from

The $2,000 number cited by Nevada Democrats comes from a Moody's Analytics estimate of what Trump's broader economic policies cost households each year, the Sun reported. A separate July analysis by Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee estimated that Nevada households have spent $460 more on gas since the Iran war began.

UNLV political science professor David Damore told the Sun the strategy has no chance of succeeding. He said that was not the goal, since the letter draws attention to affordability, the issue voters care about most, and blames the president's policies. Damore added that the letter plays on Lombardo's claims of direct access to Trump, suggesting, at least by Ford's account, that the governor is not using that relationship to help Nevadans.

Ford's affordability pitch

Affordability has anchored Ford's campaign for more than a year. When he launched his Working Class First tour last November, he called Lombardo the biggest obstacle to affordability and tied economic uncertainty to the early months of Trump's second term.

In January he released a housing plan focused on protecting buyers and renters, building more homes, accessing federal land and countering Trump's tariffs. It included a pledge to cap security deposits at one month of rent instead of the current three. He also promised a first-day executive order directing state agencies to find ways to lower costs.

Ford has acknowledged that a governor has little control over gas prices, the Sun reported. Instead, he points to steps a governor can take, including free school lunches and price caps on some prescription drugs, both vetoed by Lombardo, as well as the security deposit cap.

Lombardo campaign's response

Lombardo's campaign, which has focused mainly on job growth and education, responded to the letter on Oct. 21. It said Ford was promising $2,000 checks two weeks before Election Day without a plan to pay for or deliver them. The campaign also accused Ford of traveling out of state more than 420 days as attorney general instead of acting on gas prices.

The campaign pointed to Lombardo's role in a bipartisan effort against California fuel policies, which it says disrupt supply and raise prices in Nevada. It also cited his proposed temporary sales tax exemption and the creation of a Fuel Resilience Committee to strengthen the state's fuel supply. The campaign said Lombardo is working to deliver relief while Ford plays politics with gas prices.

What to watch next

• Election Day in the governor's race, which the Lombardo campaign said on Oct. 21 was two weeks away.
• Whether Trump acts on Ford's letter; UNLV's David Damore told the Sun the approach has no chance of succeeding.
• The status of Lombardo's proposed temporary sales tax exemption, which his campaign cited in response to fuel costs.
• Nevada diesel prices compared with the $6.87 per gallon record set Oct. 21, as tracked by AAA.