The 2026 Nevada gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Nevada. Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo is seeking a second term. He is being challenged by Democratic attorney general Aaron Ford.

Primary elections took place on June 9, 2026. Lombardo won the Republican nomination with 91.0% of the vote. Ford won the Democratic nomination with 63.8% over Washoe commission chair Alexis Hill.

Background Nevada is considered to be a purple to slightly blue state at the federal and state levels, with neither party having control of all three branches of government. Apart from the governor, Nevada's lieutenant governor and state controller are Republicans. Nevada's attorney general, treasurer, and state secretary of state are Democrats. Donald Trump won the state in 2024, becoming the first Republican presidential nominee to win the state since 2004.

The Nevada Legislature is controlled by members of the Democratic Party, with a majority in both the state assembly and senate. The lieutenant governor, a Republican, serves as the president of the state senate but only votes in the case of a tie. At the federal level, both United States Senators and three out of four members of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada are Democrats.

With the exception of 2018, Republicans have won every gubernatorial election in the state since 1998.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Joe Lombardo, incumbent governor (2023–present) Eliminated in primary Donald J. Beaudry Jr., AI executive Irina Hansen, salon owner and candidate for mayor of Las Vegas in 2024 M. Kameron Hawkins, candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022 Matthew Winterhawk, businessman Jose M. Zalaya Barak Zilberberg, candidate for governor in 2022

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof errorIrinaHansenJoeLombardoMatthewWinterhawkJoseZalaya UndecidedNoble Predictive InsightsMarch 10–13, 2026306 (V)± 5.6%4%60%7%4%24%

Results

Results by county CountyJoe LombardoNone of These CandidatesVarious candidatesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Carson City5,88691.31%1782.76%3825.93%5,70888.55%6,446Churchill3,03590.44%732.18%2487.39%2,96288.26%3,356Clark88,89491.45%1,7941.85%6,5166.71%87,10089.60%97,204Douglas10,55092.85%2782.45%5354.71%10,27290.40%11,363Elko3,43787.59%1062.70%3819.71%3,33184.89%3,924Esmeralda18980.43%2811.91%187.66%16168.52%235Eureka36881.78%255.56%5712.67%34376.22%450Humboldt1,74086.35%663.28%20910.38%1,67483.07%2,015Lander82377.79%1029.64%13312.57%72168.15%1,058Lincoln85688.89%363.74%717.37%82085.15%963Lyon7,86090.58%1942.24%6237.20%7,66688.34%8,677Mineral45081.23%264.69%7814.08%42476.54%554Nye6,36285.04%1862.49%93312.45%6,17682.55%7,481Pershing65181.99%486.05%9511.97%60375.94%794Storey78989.35%293.28%657.36%76086.07%883Washoe39,16091.34%1,1432.67%2,5685.99%38,01788.67%42,871White Pine1,10080.88%554.04%20515.07%1,04576.84%1,360Total172,15090.78%4,3672.30%13,1176.92%167,78388.48%189,634

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Aaron Ford, Nevada attorney general (2019–present)

Eliminated in primary Sunshine Arterburn Miqehl Bayfield Emile Bouari, businessman James Cooper Alexis Hill, Washoe County commission chair (2023–present) from the 1st district (2021–present)

Declined Sandra Jauregui, majority leader of the Nevada Assembly (2023–present) from the 41st district (2016–present) (running for lieutenant governor; endorsed Ford) Steve Yeager, speaker of the Nevada Assembly (2022–present) from the 9th district (2016–present)

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof errorAaronFordAlexisHill Other UndecidedChange Research (D)December 11–18, 2025555 (LV)± 4.3%48%13%1%39%

Results

Results by county CountyAaron FordAlexis HillNone of These CandidatesVarious candidatesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%#%Carson City2,66162.10%1,12226.18%1844.29%3187.41%1,53935.92%4,285Churchill43452.29%23928.80%667.95%9110.95%19523.49%830Clark87,45066.15%26,97420.41%5,1473.89%12,6219.54%60,47645.74%132,192Douglas2,35764.43%87323.87%1664.54%2627.15%1,48440.56%3,658Elko47848.68%30430.96%606.11%14014.26%17417.72%982Esmeralda633.33%527.78%633.33%15.56%00.00%18Eureka1040.00%28.00%312.00%1040.00%728.00%25Humboldt20949.06%14534.04%337.75%399.15%6415.02%426Lander5946.83%3225.40%2217.46%1310.32%2721.43%126Lincoln5549.55%98.11%2926.13%1816.22%2623.42%111Lyon1,41256.89%64726.07%1606.45%26310.60%76530.82%2,482Mineral13554.22%4618.47%4016.06%2811.24%8935.75%249Nye1,54862.65%47319.14%1847.45%26610.77%1,07543.51%2,471Pershing8551.83%4829.27%169.76%159.15%3722.56%164Storey16354.88%7826.26%155.05%4113.81%8528.62%297Washoe21,65555.17%13,80235.16%1,3333.40%2,4616.27%7,85320.01%39,251White Pine11445.42%5019.92%3815.14%4919.52%6425.50%251Total118,83163.27%44,84923.88%7,5023.99%16,6368.86%73,98239.39%187,818

Independent candidates Candidates

Danielle Ford, member of the Nevada State Board of Education

Did not qualify for ballot Christopher Battenberg Max Beck, Lyon county deputy sheriff Jordan Koteras Allen Rheinhart, perennial candidate Emilio R. Rodriguez John T. Scott

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political ReportSeptember 11, 2025Decision Desk HQSeptember 23, 2026Fox NewsJuly 23, 2026Inside ElectionsAugust 28, 2025RealClearPoliticsJune 5, 2026Sabato's Crystal BallSeptember 22, 2026Silver Bulletin September 19, 2026

Post-primary endorsements

Polling Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdatedJoeLombardo (R)AaronFord (D)Other/UndecidedMarginDecision Desk HQthrough September 26, 2026October 6, 202644.0%41.6%14.4%Lombardo +2.4%FiftyPlusOnethrough September 26, 2026October 6, 202640.8%41.1%18.1%Ford +0.3%RealClearPoliticsSeptember 5–26, 2026October 6, 202642.0%42.0%16.0%TieSilver Bulletinthrough September 8, 2026September 10, 202644.9%44.5%10.6%Lombardo +0.4%Average42.9%42.3%14.8%Lombardo +0.6% Poll sourceDate(s)administeredSamplesizeMarginof errorJoeLombardo (R)AaronFord (D)OtherUndecidedNoble Predictive InsightsSeptember 22–26, 2026800 (RV)± 3.5%38%37%12%13%708 (LV)± 3.7%42%40%10%9%Emerson CollegeSeptember 5–8, 2026680 (LV)± 3.7%42%44%2%11%Tarrance Group (R)July 25–29, 2026— (LV)± 4.3%50%43%—7%Public Policy Polling (D)July 15–16, 2026558 (LV)± 4.2%44%44%–12%Wedgewood Polls (D)July 9–12, 2026700 (LV)± 4.7%50%47%–3%Grassroots Targeting (R)July 8–6, 2026— (LV)—52%40%—8%Public Opinion Strategies (R)June 27–29, 2026— (LV)± 4.0%51%42%—7%June 9, 2026Primary electionsGlobal Strategy Group (D)May 5–11, 2026700 (LV)± 3.7%45%42%5%8%Noble Predictive InsightsMarch 10–13, 2026845 (RV)± 3.4%39%38%6%17%Hart Research (D)February 11–17, 2026800 (LV)–46%43%–11%Emerson CollegeNovember 16–18, 2025800 (RV)± 3.4%41%41%–18%Noble Predictive InsightsOctober 7–13, 2025766 (RV)± 3.5%40%37%–23%Vote TXTMay 15–19, 2023412 (RV)± 4.7%51%30%7%12%

Irina Hansen vs. Aaron Ford Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof errorIrinaHansen (R)AaronFord (D) Other UndecidedNoble Predictive InsightsMarch 10–13, 2026845 (RV)± 3.4%32%37%8%23%

Matthew Winterhawk vs. Aaron Ford Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof errorMatthewWinterhawk (R)AaronFord (D) Other UndecidedNoble Predictive InsightsMarch 10–13, 2026845 (RV)± 3.4%31%37%8%24%

Jose Zalaya vs. Aaron Ford Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof errorJose Zalaya (R)AaronFord (D) Other UndecidedNoble Predictive InsightsMarch 10–13, 2026845 (RV)± 3.4%30%36%9%25%

Results

See also 2026 United States elections 2026 Nevada elections

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links Official campaign websites Aaron Ford (D) Joe Lombardo (R) Danielle Ford (I)