Trump Urges Nevada Voters to Re-Elect Lombardo
President Donald Trump publicly backed Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Election Day while calling his Democratic challenger a radical left Democrat.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections
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On Election Day, President Donald Trump posted on social media urging Nevada voters to re-elect Gov. Joe Lombardo, and he called Attorney General Aaron Ford a radical left Democrat. The endorsement comes in a gubernatorial race that is expected to be close.
Why it matters
Lombardo has kept Trump at arm's length for much of the campaign, so the late endorsement could shape how Republican voters respond in a tight contest. Nonpartisan voters, who make up about 38% of the Nevada electorate, are expected to determine the outcome.
Nonpartisan voters make up about 38% of the Nevada electorate, a bloc expected to decide the gubernatorial race. Trump carried Nevada in 2024, but the effect of his Election Day post on the outcome remains unresolved.
The players
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the current President of the United States, a Republican who carried Nevada in 2024.
Joe Lombardo
Joe Lombardo is the Republican governor of Nevada who has kept President Trump at arm's length for much of his re-election campaign.
Aaron Ford
Aaron Ford is Nevada's Democratic Attorney General and the gubernatorial challenger who has campaigned on affordability.
The details
Trump posted on social media on Election Day urging Nevadans to re-elect Lombardo and labeling Ford a radical left Democrat. Ford's campaign has centered on affordability and has tried to tie Lombardo and Trump together, linking the governor to a sluggish tourism economy.
Timeline
Election Day, November 3, 2026: Trump posts his endorsement of Gov. Joe Lombardo on social media.
Political Context
Trump carried Nevada in 2024, making the state a useful test of whether his coalition still transfers to a Republican governor who has distanced himself from the president. Lombardo's reluctance to embrace Trump during the campaign contrasts with Trump's late public backing.
Nevada voters deciding the governor's race will see Trump's endorsement as a signal of which candidate the president wants in office. The outcome will determine who sets state policy on the economy and tourism for the next term.
The takeaway
A late endorsement from a sitting president can energize a party base, but in a close race the decisive votes often come from voters who are not affiliated with either party. Nevada's result will show whether that pattern holds this cycle.
Further reading
For broader coverage of how races like this unfold, see Elections on our politics pages.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Las Vegas Sun.
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