2026 Nevada gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2026 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2026 Nevada gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Nevada. Incumbent Republican governor Joe Lombardo is running for re-election to a second term in office.

2026 Nevada gubernatorial election

← 2022 November 3, 2026 2030 →

Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo Republican

Background

Nevada is considered to be a purple 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.

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.^[1][2]

With the exception of 2018, Republicans have won every gubernatorial election in the state since 1998.^[3]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Irina Hansen, salon owner and candidate for mayor of Las Vegas in 2024^[4]
• Joe Lombardo, incumbent governor (2023–present)^[5]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Aaron Ford, Nevada Attorney General (2019–present)^[6]

Announcement pending

• Alexis Hill, Washoe County commissioner (2020–present)^[7]

Publicly expressed interest

• Steve Sisolak, former governor (2019–2023)^[8][9]

Declined

• Sandra Jauregui, majority leader of the Nevada Assembly (2023–present) from the 41st district (2016–present)^[10]
• Steve Yeager, Speaker of the Nevada Assembly (2022–present) from the 9th district (2016–present)^[10]

Endorsements

Aaron Ford

U.S. senators

• Catherine Cortez Masto, U.S. senator from Nevada (2017–present)^[11]
• Jacky Rosen, U.S. senator from Nevada (2019–Present)^[12]

U.S. representatives

• Steven Horsford, U.S. representative from Nevada's 4th congressional district (2013–2015, 2019–present)^[13]
• Susie Lee, U.S. representative from Nevada's 3rd congressional district (2019–present)^[14]
• Dina Titus, U.S. representative from Nevada's 1st congressional district (2009–2011, 2013–present)^[13]

State legislators

• Cecelia González, state assemblymember from the 16th district (2020–present)^[13]
• Daniele Monroe-Moreno, speaker pro tempore of the Nevada Assembly (2023–present) from the 1st district (2016–present) and chair of the Nevada Democratic Party (2023–present)^[13]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[15]	Tossup	January 23, 2025
Inside Elections[16]	Battleground	February 6, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball[17]	Lean R	May 1, 2025
Race to the WH[18]	Tilt R	June 30, 2025

Polling

Joe Lombardo vs. Aaron Ford

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Joe Lombardo (R)	Aaron Ford (D)	Other	Undecided
Vote TXT[19][A]	May 15–19, 2023	412 (RV)	± 4.7%	51%	30%	7%[b]	12%

See also

• 2026 United States gubernatorial elections

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
2. "Some other candidate" with 7%

Partisan clients

1. Poll commissioned by Nevada Newsmakers