Control of the Nevada Legislature could decide how much power the next governor holds after Tuesday's election

Why the Legislature matters on Election Day

The contest between Gov. Joe Lombardo and Attorney General Aaron Ford is Nevada's top race on Tuesday's ballot. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the makeup of the Nevada Legislature could shape how the winner is able to govern. Recent polling showed the two candidates in a neck-and-neck race, according to the Review-Journal.

For the past four years, Lombardo has faced Democratic majorities in both the state Senate and Assembly that blocked Republican proposals, including his own. He has answered with his veto pen. The Review-Journal reported he rejected 162 bills over his two biennial sessions, breaking former Gov. Brian Sandoval's record of 97 bills vetoed over four sessions.

The numbers behind a supermajority

A two-thirds supermajority in both chambers would let Democrats override any governor's veto. The same two-thirds margin is required to pass any bill that raises taxes, according to the Review-Journal.

Democrats would reach that threshold with 28 seats in the Assembly and 14 in the Senate. They now hold 27 Assembly seats and 13 Senate seats. The Review-Journal reported that 53 of the Legislature's 63 seats are on the ballot, though not all of those races have more than one candidate.

Possible outcomes for Nevada government

Lombardo wins, Democrats keep simple majorities

In this case, government could look much like it has for the past four years, the Review-Journal reported. Lombardo could veto bills he dislikes but would need to negotiate with Democrats to pass his own priorities. Bills he supports that Democrats oppose might not get a hearing.

Lombardo wins, Democrats gain supermajorities

Lombardo would lose much of his leverage heading into the 2027 Legislature. Acting together, Democrats could pass any bill, raise taxes and override his vetoes. Sondra Cosgrove, executive director and board chair of the civic-engagement nonprofit Vote Nevada, told the Review-Journal that Democrats would have to be willing to actually override anything they send him that he will veto. She said lawmakers often write bills with poison pills, knowing he will veto them.

Ford wins with a Democratic Legislature

A Democratic trifecta would let Ford and his party's lawmakers pass bills without Republican input. Ford has named vetoed bills he would sign, including ones to expand free school lunches, limit corporate homeownership and lower prescription drug costs. Cosgrove noted that Ford has not promised to sign every bill Lombardo vetoed, because some contain poison pills. Earlier coverage looked at how twice-vetoed bills could return under a Ford administration.

Ford wins and Democrats gain supermajorities

Democrats would hold even more power, the Review-Journal reported. Ford has said on the campaign trail that he would not raise taxes. But if legislative Democrats passed a tax bill and were ready to override, he would have as little power as Lombardo to stop it, and his own vetoes could be overridden by his party. The Review-Journal also noted the tables would turn if Ford won while Republicans held legislative majorities.

What the candidates have said

Lombardo told the Review-Journal in September that a second term would continue his focus on the economy, health care, education and public safety, along with attainable housing. Reflecting on his tenure, he said, "I didn't get everything I wanted through that process, but that's the way the government process works." You can read more about Lombardo's closing pitch in the race.

Asked about facing a supermajority, Lombardo said "that's how government is designed; to have checks and balances," and said he hopes to reach agreements with Democrats. Cosgrove said she expects he "would be less aggressive in a status-quo-type situation than he was four years ago." Ford's campaign did not make him available for an interview, but his website lists priorities in economic development, housing and education.

What to watch next

• Results of Tuesday's governor's race between Lombardo and Ford.
• Whether Democrats reach 28 Assembly seats and 14 Senate seats among the 53 legislative seats on the ballot.
• How the balance of power plays out when the 2027 Legislature convenes.