Nevada Democrats win five statewide offices as Aaron Ford holds a narrow lead in a too-close-to-call governor's race

What happened

Nevada Democrats had a strong election night up and down the ballot, according to The Nevada Independent. Outside the governor's race, the outlet reported that Democrats flipped two Republican-held statewide offices and kept the other three. Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) leads Gov. Joe Lombardo (R), but that race was still too close to call.

The Indy noted that the last time one party held all six constitutional offices was the GOP in 2014. Democrats have not held all of them since 1962. The outlet described the results as a significant rebuke of President Donald Trump, with Democrats beating even their most ambitious expectations nationwide.

The governor's race

Ford's narrow lead

Ford came out of Election Day with a slight lead. If it holds, he could become the first elected Black governor west of the Mississippi River, The Nevada Independent reported. "I'm standing with a real chance of becoming governor," Ford told supporters at a watch party Tuesday evening, according to the outlet.

Ford's campaign tied Lombardo to Trump. He also criticized the governor's record-breaking vetoes, which Ford said would have helped Nevadans weather economic difficulties. The Indy reported that Ford's lead came despite outsized ad spending by Lombardo and was largely driven by anti-GOP sentiment.

Lombardo's message

Lombardo argued he needed four more years to finish his agenda. He pointed to his record on healthcare, education, housing and the economy. Trump had urged Nevadans to re-elect Lombardo on Election Day. One voter, 47-year-old Chris Myers, told The Indy he was frustrated by viral video of the governor seemingly getting out of a traffic ticket.

Down-ballot results

Attorney general

The Indy projected that Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas) defeated lawyer Adriana Guzmán Fralick (R). Cannizzaro's campaign focused on Trump and data centers. Democrats pointed to Guzmán Fralick's past comments that the state should "roll with the punches" on data centers.

Secretary of state

Incumbent Cisco Aguilar (D) again defeated former state Assm. Jim Marchant (R), who had sought changes such as ending electronic voting. As of Tuesday evening, this was the most lopsided statewide race, the outlet reported. Aguilar, who has disputed federal claims about noncitizen voting, has backed modest reforms, such as letting voters insert mail ballots into scanners at polling places.

Treasurer, controller and lieutenant governor

Tya Mathis-Coleman (D), a staffer in Treasurer Zach Conine's office, beat policy analyst Drew Johnson (R) for treasurer. The treasurer's office runs the Millennium Scholarship program, which has helped about 200,000 students but is expected to be insolvent next year. Controller Andy Matthews (R) was hurt by anti-Republican sentiment in his race against Clark County high school teacher Michael MacDougall, The Indy reported.

Democrat Sandra Jauregui, a former Assembly majority leader, ousted Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony (R). In October, the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association put $1.86 million behind her campaign. The Indy called it the largest investment ever in a Nevada lieutenant governor race.

The Legislature

Democrats secured a two-thirds supermajority in the Assembly, The Nevada Independent reported. In the state Senate, they are one seat short, and two races could still flip a seat. A supermajority in both chambers would let Democrats raise taxes and override a governor's vetoes. Earlier coverage tracked the legislative races in early results.

What to watch next

• Whether Ford's slight lead over Lombardo holds in the governor's race, which was too close to call as of early Wednesday.
• Two state Senate races that could give Democrats a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers.
• Clark County officials' appointment of a replacement for Cannizzaro's Senate seat.
• Democratic senators' choice of a new caucus leader for next year's legislative session.