Nevada Republicans have nearly stopped mentioning Trump in campaign ads while Democrats keep invoking him, analysis finds

What the ad data shows

Republican campaigns in Nevada have largely stopped referencing President Donald Trump in their broadcast and streaming ads, while Democrats are doing the opposite, according to an analysis by The Nevada Independent using data from AdImpact. Since Aug. 1, roughly $1 of every $2 Democrats spent on those ads in Nevada went to spots mentioning Trump. For Republicans, the figure was roughly $1 of every $1,000.

The Indy said its review borrowed its method from a recent New York Times story by Bayliss Wagner. That story found Republicans in congressional races nationwide avoiding Trump in their ads while Democrats went all-in on mentioning him.

The governor's race

Democrats tie Lombardo to Trump

The contrast was sharpest in the race for governor, The Indy reported. The first ad backing Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) that mentioned Trump ran July 28. Since then, Democrats have spent more than $7 million on governor's race ads mentioning Trump, out of more than $13 million in total over that period, while Republicans have spent $0 on governor's race ads mentioning him.

Since Aug. 1, Democrats have spent more than $1.1 million on ads referencing the "Lombardo-Trump economy," a favorite phrase of the Ford campaign aimed at Gov. Joe Lombardo (R). The Indy found no pro-Ford ads that mention Trump without Lombardo, but nine that mention Lombardo without Trump. Those include one rebutting Lombardo's attack ads on Ford and one criticizing Lombardo's stance on data centers.

A shift after the primaries

The Times noted that Republicans mentioned Trump less as 2026 went on, likely because loyalty to the president mattered more in primaries held earlier in the year. The Indy found a similar pattern in Nevada's House races. From April 9 to June 9, the two months before the June 9 primaries, nearly 85 percent of Republican ad money in House races went to ads mentioning Trump. From June 10 to Aug. 10, just 0.5 percent did.

Outside money in congressional races

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending on Nevada's congressional races this fall have drawn little attention, according to Federal Election Commission records of independent expenditures cited by The Indy. Outside groups have backed Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV), whom The Indy described as safer than the other incumbents.

Think Big, a pro-AI super PAC funded by Andreessen Horowitz, spent $321,000 on Horsford's behalf. Rolling Sea Action Fund, which aims to empower the Black community, spent $150,000, and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC is paying $3,000 for radio ads supporting him.

Other late-campaign developments

Federal observers in Clark County

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to station observers at four Clark County polling sites on Election Day, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D) told The Indy.

A Republican Senate seat drawing attention

In Northern Nevada, Senate District 16, held by state Sen. Lisa Krasner (R-Reno), has a Republican voter registration advantage of more than 13.5 percentage points and has never been held by a Democrat. Still, The Indy reported that registration and early vote data show promising signs for Democrats. Democratic challenger Chrystal Roll has been door-knocking in the Carson City and South Reno district with fellow members of AFSCME Local 4041.

Disputed texts and claims

Voters in state Senate District 8 have received texts attacking Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop (D-Las Vegas). The Indy reported that the same phone number that sent a fake flyer claiming she attended an event with the Democratic Socialists of America sent another text this week pointing voters to an attack ad on her education record. The text presented the sender as a Democrat and said, "We need to fix our party."

Separately, a Reddit post shows a text the user claims came from the campaign of Becky Harris, a Clark County Commission District F candidate, alleging that her Democratic opponent, Minja Yan, lied in an interview this month about being born and raised in Las Vegas. Voters who receive unexpected political messages can review tips on spotting scams aimed at voters.

What to watch next

• The end of early voting, which The Indy said had two days remaining when its newsletter was published.
• Justice Department observers at four Clark County polling sites on Election Day.
• Whether Senate District 16, which has never been held by a Democrat, stays in Republican hands.
• Who is behind the texts targeting Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop in Senate District 8.