Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo wins the GOP primary, advancing to the general election
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Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo secured the Republican nomination for a second term on Tuesday, defeating six GOP candidates and advancing to the general election as Democrats battle for a chance to regain the governor’s mansion in November.
The first-term governor went into the first round as the heavy favorite. Lombardo, a former Clark County sheriff, was elected governor in 2022 when he defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, was the only Republican challenger to unseat a Democratic incumbent that year.
He will now enter the general election against the Democratic nominee, who will come from a primary field that includes Attorney General Aaron Ford and Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill.
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Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo received the Republican nomination for a second term. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Lombardo defeated a field of largely unknown Republican challengers that included Donald Beaudry Jr., Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Matthew Winterhawk, Jose Zelaya and Barak Zilberberg.
Beaudry Jr., a financial engineer, hedge fund manager and intelligence firm founder. He campaigned on his experience in the private sector.
Hansen, a real estate owner and small business owner who once ran for mayor of Las Vegas, positioned himself as an outsider challenging the political establishment. Winterhawk, a businessman and nonprofit founder, entered the race as a political newcomer and positioned himself as one of Nevada’s political establishment.
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Nevada voters went to the polls again on Tuesday in primaries for US House seats and various state offices. (David Becker/Getty Images)
Hawkins, a Navy veteran, publisher and conservative activist, previously sought the Republican nomination for Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor in 2022.
Zelaya, a real estate investor who also sought a bid in the 2022 GOP race, has kept a very low public profile throughout the campaign and released limited information about his candidacy.
The race for the governor’s mansion in Nevada is among the most watched contests of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The winner of the key swing state could gain national prominence ahead of the 2028 presidential election and help shape their political party’s strategy in Nevada.
It also comes as Democrats are trying to reverse the bill after losing it in 2022.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in one of the most watched congressional races in the country. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Getty Images)
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With no US Senate race in Nevada’s election this cycle, the governor’s race has served as the state’s marquee contest and the primary driver of campaign spending.
Beyond the gubernatorial race, Nevada voters also weighed in primaries for US House seats and a variety of state offices, while voters in Henderson, Nevada’s second largest city, voted in a mayoral election.
