While the 2026 general election is a year away and candidate filing for the six Nevada state constitutional offices doesn’t begin until March 2, the campaign season is well underway with Republicans and Democrats announcing their candidacies.
Governor
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is an early favorite for re-election with the race “leaning Republican” in the non-partisan assessment of Larry Sabato at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Nevada is expected to have a close governor’s race in 2026.
Lombardo narrowly defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2026 by 15,386 votes, the only challenger in the country to defeat an incumbent governor.
His likely Democratic opponent in November will be term-limited Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Ford announced his candidacy for governor one week after another Democratic officeholder expressed an intention to run for governor.
Washoe County Commission Chair, Alexis Hill, told the press she intends a gubernatorial run, setting up the prospect of a competitive Democratic primary.
Hill faces a steep climb, with all five Democratic members of Nevada’s congressional delegation already endorsing Ford.
Lt. Governor
Republican Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony intends to run for a second term in 2026.
Anthony, with a 29-year Las Vegas Metro career in law enforcement, was a Las Vegas City Councilmember from 2009 until his election as Lt. Governor in 2022.
Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) has announced her intention to run for Lt. Governor.
First elected to the Assembly in 2016, Jauregui, a Latina, currently serves as majority leader, the third highest ranking leadership position.
Attorney General
Nevada’s attorney general 2026 race is considered “open,” with no incumbent.
Ford is term-limited and a candidate for governor.
Beyond the governorship, the office of attorney general is the most important statewide office.
Sabato’s highly- respected political assessment currently ranks the race as a “toss-up.”
The race to replace Ford as attorney general has attracted two strong Democrats: current Nevada Treasurer Zack Conine and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro.
Conine is term-limited as treasurer, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
Prior to entering office, Conine worked in gaming, finance and consulting.
Cannizzaro is the first female majority leader of the Nevada Senate.
First elected to the Senate in 2016, she was re-elected in 2020 and 2024 from a Las Vegas district. She currently works for a personal injury law firm.
Danny Tarkanian, an attorney and son of UNLV basketball coaching legend Jerry Tarkanian, is an announced GOP candidate for attorney general.
A frequent Republican candidate, Tarkanian has mounted eight unsuccessful campaigns for public office.
In 2020, Tarkanian was elected to the Douglas County Commission and re-elected in 2024.
Adriana Guzman Fralick has also announced she is running for the Republican nomination for attorney general.
Guzman Fralick, a Latina, serves as the chair of the Cannabis Compliance Board; appointed by Lombardo.
A Reno attorney, she has practiced law for over 20 years and previously worked as general counsel for Republican former Gov. Jim Gibbons.
State Treasurer
A first-term Assemblymember, Joe Dalia (D-Henderson), plans to run for state treasurer in 2026.
Democrat Incumbent Treasurer Conine, term-limited, is making a bid for attorney general.
Republican Drew Johnson has announced his candidacy for state treasurer.
A Las Vegas resident, Johnson ran for the Clark County Commission in 2022 and Congress in 2024, losing both races narrowly.
Secretary of State
Incumbent Democrat Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar will seek re-election in 2026.
He won election by 23,102 votes in 2022 and has no currently identified GOP opponent.
State Controller
Incumbent Republican State Controller Andy Matthews will seek re-election in 2026.
He won election by 41,611 votes in 2022 and has no currently identified Democrat opponent.
The six statewide races will be decided by an electorate nearly evenly split: with 601,572 Republicans, 598,393 Democrats and 787,815 Non-partisans (on 11/1/25).
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