Gov. Joe Lombardo defends Nevada's economic record and pledges no new taxes as Aaron Ford presses on tourism and prices

What happened

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo made his case on the economy at an economic policy roundtable in Henderson on Thursday, Oct. 15, the Las Vegas Sun reported. He pointed to 100,000 new jobs and no tax increases during his time in office.

The Sun noted that the event did not address record-high gas prices or a 7.5% drop in Las Vegas tourism. Those are the issues his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Aaron Ford, has put at the center of his campaign. For more on the race, see our elections coverage.

What the jobs numbers show

Unemployment falls, but the workforce shrinks

According to the Sun, Nevada's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.7% in September. It was the fifth monthly decline in a row and the lowest rate since February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Part of that decline came from people leaving the labor force, which shrank by more than 5,000 people in September. The participation rate fell to 62.3%, and the state's unemployment rate remains 0.5 percentage point above the national rate of 4.2%.

Job growth slows

Nevada added 1,300 jobs in September, mostly in health care, business services and construction, according to DETR chief economist David Schmidt. The state led the nation in job growth early this year but now ranks seventh, the Sun reported.

The slowdown follows a national pattern. Employers across the country added 29,000 jobs in September, well short of the 90,000 economists expected, as uncertainty and higher borrowing costs make companies more cautious about hiring.

Lombardo's second-term pitch

Lombardo said the tax environment is one of the first things a company weighs before moving to a state. "Is it a stable tax environment or is it going to change every legislative session?" he said, according to the Sun.

If he wins a second term, Lombardo said, he will again commit to no new taxes and hopes to create a back-to-school sales tax holiday. He also said he would revisit the tax gap created by electric vehicles, which use the roads but do not pay gas tax.

He said he would reissue executive orders that require state agencies to recommend at least 10 regulations for removal and direct occupational licensing boards to make it easier for Nevadans to find work. Lombardo said more than 1,200 regulations were identified and more than 900 were repealed or modified.

Business leaders weigh in

Leaders of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce joined the governor. Tyler Corder, chief financial officer of Findlay Automotive Group, called the decision not to raise taxes "crucial" and said the company closed its Oregon and California locations while its Nevada operations stayed open.

Kaylani Yocom, owner of Hyarch construction and cleaning services, said her business, founded in 2024, used the governor's Launchpad program, which covered up to $7,000 a month in rent, and has since tripled in size. Virginia Toalepai, president and founder of the Nevada Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged the economy has slowed but said she believes Lombardo's policies will lead to growth.

Ford's case on prices and tourism

Ford has centered his campaign on affordability, small-business relief and lowering everyday costs for Nevada families, the Sun reported. He has repeatedly questioned why Lombardo has not stood up to President Donald Trump's tariffs and immigration policies, which have been blamed for a dip in tourism.

That message helped Ford earn the backing of the Retail Association of Nevada, which endorsed Lombardo in 2022. His campaign has also pointed to falling Canadian visitation, historically Las Vegas's largest source of international tourists, which the Sun said dropped 17.4% in a single year, a loss of more than 250,000 visitors.

In a news release, Ford said, "The tariffs that Trump enacted and Joe Lombardo supports have caused prices to soar and tourism to plummet." Voters can find more in our guide to early voting in Clark County.

What to watch next

• The outcome of the governor's race between Lombardo and Ford, which will decide whether Lombardo serves a second term.
• Whether Lombardo, if reelected, follows through on a back-to-school sales tax holiday and a renewed no-new-taxes pledge.
• How Lombardo would address the tax gap from electric vehicles that do not pay gas tax.
• Whether he reissues executive orders on cutting state regulations and easing occupational licensing.