Nevadans are giving Lombardo higher marks, and his donors are lining up behind him.
Gov. Joe Lombardo’s campaign and a PAC that supports him say they raised about $16.9 million combined from July through September. That is a lot of supporters who believe in what the governor is doing. And the timing is sweet, because his poll numbers are climbing too.
The Numbers
So where did all that money land? Lombardo’s own campaign raised about $1.55 million. Better Nevada PAC, a separate group in support of Lombardo, raised about $15.4 million.
These figures come from Team Lombardo’s announcement, and the full public reports will fill in the details soon.
This is not a one-time thing, either. Back in the spring, the campaign and the PACs supporting Lombardo reported about $16.2 million combined. About $2.1 million went to the campaign, and nearly $14 million went to the PACs.
Nevada Money, Nevada Voters
A Nevada Independent review of spring reports found about 64 percent of the money Ford raised from donors giving more than $100 came from outside Nevada.
For Lombardo, it was 25 percent. Most of the governor’s bigger backers live right here.
Maybe that makes sense for Ford. He spends plenty of time out there. Records reviewed by The Nevada Independent show he spent 137 days out of state in 2024 alone. That is more than four months away from the state he wants to run.
Ford’s campaign says most of those trips were work conferences with other attorneys general, and that taxpayers never paid for his travel.
Lombardo’s team is happy to point out the difference.
“While Aaron Ford travels out of state to court liberal donors, Joe Lombardo continues to earn the support of Nevadans right here at home,” said Halee Dobbins, spokesperson for Governor Lombardo’s re-election campaign.
“Nevadans have a choice: a governor who delivers results or a politician who spent more than 420 days out of state and uses his position to support clemency for criminals. In just under 20 days, voters will make that choice clear by re-electing Joe Lombardo for another four years.”
Ford’s travel has also caught the eye of state ethics officials. In February, a Nevada Commission on Ethics panel found enough evidence to move forward with a case against him.
The case centers on more than $35,000 in overseas trips paid for by a group funded largely by corporations. Investigators are also reviewing whether he used his official social media accounts to help his campaign.
As of this writing, no ruling has been announced. Ford’s office says he is confident the commission will find he followed all ethical rules.
Nevadans Are Warming Up
Money is nice. Votes are better. And the governor’s popularity is growing.
Last November, an Emerson College poll found Lombardo held a 34% job approval rating and 36% disapproval. By September, things had flipped. In Emerson’s September poll, Governor Lombardo held a 40% job approval rating and 39% disapproval rating. That same poll found nearly half of voters (49%) have a favorable view of Lombardo, while 39% have an unfavorable view.
The head-to-head race looks good too. In early October, a Noble Predictive Insights poll found Lombardo leading Aaron Ford 42% to 40%, with Danielle Ford (I) at 7%.
As of October 15, the Call the Map polling average shows Lombardo ahead by about 2.3 points.
Good economic news may be part of the reason. The September jobs report shows Nevada added 1,300 jobs, bringing the state to a record 1,620,200 jobs.
Unemployment also fell for the fifth month in a row, to its lowest level since 2020, according to Gov. Lombardo.
The September jobs report shows Nevada continuing its economic momentum.
↗️1,300 new jobs & 1.6% annual job growth
💼1,620,200 total jobs – a record high for Nevada
⬇️Unemployment fell for the 5th consecutive month to the lowest level since 2020
https://t.co/Vd5BJ9lNd9— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) October 15, 2026
Why This Matters to Conservatives
This race is about who guards your wallet. Nevada’s Legislature has been run by Democrats for years, and the governor is the brake pedal. When Lombardo ran in 2022, he promised no new taxes.
After his first session, his office said he vetoed every new tax lawmakers sent him. That included a tax on businesses that collect customer data and automatic gas tax increases.
Asked if a second term might bring new taxes, Lombardo gave a short answer. “It’s not happening.” If Ford wins, that brake pedal goes away.
What Critics Say
Critics point out that most pro-Lombardo money flows through PACs that take large checks. In the spring, Better Nevada PAC received $5 million from the Republican Governors Association and $2.5 million from Robert Bigelow.
Ford’s team says he is the people’s candidate. His campaign manager, Zoë Kleinfeld, said,
“While Joe Lombardo ignores the struggles of Nevadans and hides from tough questions, AG Ford is building a broad-based coalition of voters from every background and walk of life.”
Polls show the race is still close. One September Emerson poll had Ford at 44% and Lombardo at 42%. So nobody should get comfortable.
What Comes Next
The next big question is cash on hand. Raising money is one thing. How much is left in the bank for the final weeks is another.
Election Day is November 3. Early voting starts this Saturday, October 17.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI.
