Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford wants to be governor. And he's got a long list of promises to make that happen. But a new report says those promises come with a price tag that might make your eyes water: $18.1 billion over four years.
That's not a typo. Eighteen billion, with a “b.”
Where The Number Comes From
The report comes from Gov. Joe Lombardo's campaign, which looked at 76 different proposals Ford has put out on the campaign trail. The campaign added up what it would cost the state, businesses, and the federal government to actually deliver on all those promises. Nearly $8 billion of that total — $7.93 billion, to be exact — would come straight out of Nevada's state budget over four years.
To put that in perspective, imagine your household budget. Now imagine someone hands you a list of 76 new things they want you to buy, and the bill comes to nearly $8 billion just for your part. That's the situation Nevada taxpayers are looking at if Ford's full wish list becomes law.
The report breaks it down by category:
- Healthcare comes in as the biggest chunk, at more than $6 billion, including $3.5 billion for a plan to cancel medical debt.
- Education proposals — things like raising per-pupil funding, expanding pre-K, and offering universal school meals — carry an estimated $4.9 billion price tag.
- Housing runs about $4.8 billion, energy about $1.5 billion, and economic development close to $900 million.
A Professor Backs The Math
Numbers from a political campaign always deserve a second look. University of Nevada, Reno economics professor Mark Pingle reviewed the report and told Fox News Digital:
“Based on a review of Aaron Ford's policy proposals, an estimated cost of $18 billion is a reasonable assessment.”
Pingle didn't stop there. He called it a record-breaking increase in spending and said Nevadans deserve clear answers about how it would be paid for, who would bear the cost, and what it would mean for the state's long-term financial stability.
He added that regardless of political party, $18 billion in new spending deserves careful review and an honest explanation.
That's the heart of the matter for conservatives. Nevada doesn't have a personal income tax. That's one of the things that makes this state attractive to families and businesses.
But if you're going to spend billions more every year, that money has to come from somewhere. Higher sales taxes. New fees. Cuts to other programs. There's no free lunch in government budgeting, no matter how nice the promises sound.
Former state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, who also served as Lombardo's chief of staff from 2023 to 2024, put it plainly, saying spending at that level:
“is simply not sustainable for Nevada.”
He said proposals of this size deserve serious scrutiny because Nevadans expect responsible budgeting and fiscal discipline.
What Ford's Campaign Says
Ford's team pushed back hard. Campaign spokesperson Prerna Jagadeesh called the report fraudulent and said it invents costs for programs that won't cost the state a penny, arguing some would actually save taxpayers money.
Ford's campaign says the report assumes he'd fund things — like expanding the state's Battle Born health plans — that his platform never actually proposed.
So there's a real dispute here. Ford's side says many of these costs are either federal responsibilities, private-sector costs, or savings dressed up as expenses.
Lombardo's side says any regulatory change, enforcement effort, or expanded benefit requires real staffing and real funding, even if a campaign doesn't spell that out.
Why This Matters Going Forward
This fight is about more than one report. It's a preview of the whole governor's race.
But step back from the campaign back-and-forth for a second and just sit with the number. Eighteen billion dollars. Nearly $8 billion of it straight out of the state budget. That's not a rounding error. That's not a typo.
That's a number big enough to blow a hole in a state that doesn't even collect a personal income tax.
Even if you cut the number in half to account for every complaint Ford's campaign has about the math, you're still talking about billions of dollars in new spending with no clear answer on where the money comes from.
That should stop every Nevadan in their tracks, conservative or not.
Numbers this size don't stay theoretical. They show up on your tax bill, in higher fees, or in cuts to the things state government is supposed to be doing already. Between now and November, watch how Ford's campaign answers the pay-for question.
If a candidate can't explain in plain terms how billions in new promises get funded, that's the whole ballgame right there. Nevada families don't get to run their own budgets on promises and hope, and the person asking to set the state's spending shouldn't get a pass either.
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. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
