Attorney General Aaron Ford launches bid for Nevada governor

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford formally launched his 2026 campaign for governor Monday against Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo.

“If you’re tired of the status quo, and you’re tired of people who won’t stand up for you, you want someone who’s going to fight for a Nevada that works for everyone, join us,” Ford said to a crowd of over 250 at the East Las Vegas Community Center.

Ford, a former state senator, took office as attorney general in 2019 and was the first African American to hold a statewide office in Nevada.

The Democratic attorney general began his campaign launch with a prayer circle at the Historic Westside’s Victory Mission Baptist Church, where about a dozen local pastors prayed around Ford and his wife as his sons watched via video chat. The pastors asked God for wisdom and blessings, and they committed to being one of the firsts to donate to Ford’s campaign.

Ford next went to the Gritz Cafe to schmooze with customers before his official launch event at East Las Vegas Community Center later Monday morning.

Backed by Nevada Democrats

In the Democratic primary, Ford is expected to face Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, who recently said she plans to run for governor.

Even before he formally launched his campaign, Nevada Democratic officials began to back him; Ford received the endorsements from both U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Sen. Jacky Rosen. Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party, attended Monday’s events, joining hands with the pastors in the prayer circle.

At his campaign launch, Nevada Democratic Reps. Steven Horsford and Dina Titus introduced Ford and commended his work as attorney general, such as clearing a backlog of rape kits, delivering settlements for Nevada and suing the Trump administration over what Titus described as an “executive overreach.”

Assemblymember Cecilia González, D-Las Vegas, touted his experience as a former senate majority leader. She said he has worked with Democrats and Republicans to deliver balanced budgets and knows how the legislative process works.

Hill called Ford the “Dem insiders’ choice” in a Monday statement.

“I look forward to engaging with Nevadans on concrete plans, real solutions and changes when I formally announce my candidacy for governor soon,” Hill said.

Lombardo and Ford also had begun butting heads before the attorney general’s official campaign launch. The governor criticized Ford for his many lawsuits against the Trump administration, calling them “unfortunate.” He also accused Ford of wanting to make Nevada a sanctuary state after Ford released mandated recommended immigration policies in February.

The political action committee backing Lombardo took swings at Ford on Monday, saying in a statement he is pushing a “dangerous woke agenda on Nevada families.”

“With our state finally on the right track under Governor Joe Lombardo, Nevada voters will reject Ford and his radical campaign in 2026,” Better Nevada PAC spokesman John Burke said in a statement.

His background and his promises

At the East Las Vegas Community Center, Ford described his humble beginnings. His family worked hard but struggled, he said. His father worked in the produce section at Safeway, and his mother worked odd jobs to help out. He said there were some nights where Ford and his brothers had to eat stale candy bars for dinner.

“We knew the only way out was to work hard,” Ford said.

Ford went to college and in his junior year became a father, then a single father, needing Medicaid and food stamps to care for his son, he said. He later met his wife, Berna Rhodes-Ford, graduated from college, earned two master’s degrees and his law degree and became a public school math teacher.

“I know what it’s like to feel like you’re pushing a rock uphill and then fight for a better life, and families all across Nevada are feeling it too,” Ford said.

He touched on his efforts in the Nevada Senate to bring in new business sectors and raise pay for state employees, and he highlighted his work as attorney general in litigating drug companies that have brought Nevada more than $1.2 billion in settlements.

“On day one I made it clear that if you harm Nevadans, I will hold you accountable,” he said.

Ford took swings at Lombardo, saying he’s been “kowtowing” to Trump. He criticized him for vetoing legislation aiming to curb corporations from buying homes in Nevada and legislation providing universal school meals.

Ford said it is time to “stop sliding backwards” and to start “moving forward” — a slogan highlighted in his campaign video, with emphasis on the first and last two letters of “forward.” If elected, he promised to bring down prescription drug prices, stop corporations from buying up homes, guarantee breakfast and lunch for public school students and fund summer school.

“It is time Nevadans have a governor who says ‘yes’ to our families and ‘no’ to big corporations,” he said.

Lombardo’s campaign did not return requests for comment.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.