Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford to run for Nevada governor

The term-limited Ford cannot run again for Nevada Attorney General, but confirmed to The Nevadan he intends ‘to seek higher office,’ and is the first Democrat to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race. 

Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford intends to run for governor in 2026, becoming the first figure in his party to publicly announce their bid to challenge Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo. 

Ford, who was first elected as the top law enforcement officer in the state in 2018, will not be able to run again for attorney general because of term limits, and he confirmed to The Nevadan in a statement his intention to run for governor. 

“I do intend to seek higher office, and I have been having informal conversations with people across the state to better understand what they believe Nevada needs in its next governor,” Ford said. “These discussions are an important part of determining how I can best serve our state.”

Ford’s decision to explore the gubernatorial run was first reported by The Nevada Independent, which noted additionally that Ford has continued to host fundraising events throughout the state. A campaign finance report filed in January indicated Ford’s campaign began the year with roughly $200,000 in the bank. 

MORE: Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo pledges to help Trump’s deportation plan

As attorney general, Ford has won more than $1 billion in settlements with drug companies that were found complicit in the opioid crisis and brought charges against a group of Nevada Republicans, who following the 2020 election, submitted a false slate of electors asserting that it was Donald Trump and not Democrat Joe Biden who carried the state’s six electoral votes. Biden in 2020 bested Trump by more than 30,000 votes in Nevada. 

That case, however, was dismissed in June with the judge citing Clark County as the improper venue for the case. Ford’s office has vowed to appeal. 

During last year’s legislative session, Ford’s office supported legislation that, among other things, increased criminal penalties for possessing fentanyl, made it easier to prosecute organized retail theft, and help law enforcement respond to domestic violence. 

Ahead of the 2025 session, Ford has submitted draft legislation that would strengthen penalties for crimes committed against seniors, bolster consumer protections, and revise the state’s open meeting law, targeting market manipulation, and others. Those bills will need to survive scrutiny from state lawmakers in order to advance through the upcoming session, which begins Feb. 3.  

Before becoming attorney general, Ford served in the Nevada state Senate from 2012 to 2017, and served as the Senate majority leader for the 79th legislative session. His election to AG in 2018 made him the first Black man in Nevada to hold a statewide constitutional office. Ford also worked as a practicing attorney and as a public school math teacher before running for office, according to his biography page.