Clark County’s largest teachers union is taking its support for Nevada’s Republican governor onto the campaign trail as the race with Aaron Ford tightens.
The Clark County Education Association (CCEA) released campaign videos on consecutive days this week, putting its support behind Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in front of voters as the November election approaches.
The union, which represents more than 18,000 educators in Nevada’s largest school district, posted a video captioned “Game Over” on October 6, followed by another campaign video on October 7.
The releases mark a renewed public push from an organization that has developed an unusually close political relationship with Nevada’s Republican governor.
From Endorsement to Campaign Messaging
CCEA endorsed Lombardo for reelection in November 2025, citing his administration’s investments in education, teacher pay and school accountability.
The endorsement was significant because the union declined to back either candidate in the 2022 gubernatorial race between Lombardo and then-Gov. Steve Sisolak.
This year, CCEA isn’t sitting on the sidelines.
Its October 6 video attracted attention beyond Nevada, with Megan Barth of the California Globe reporting on the union’s “Game Over” message alongside Democratic Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson’s endorsement of Lombardo.
Wolfson, who worked with Lombardo during his tenure as Clark County sheriff, cited their longstanding cooperation on public safety.
Together, the developments highlight the Republican governor’s ability to attract support from organizations and officials who do not traditionally align with his party.
Game Over.
— Clark County Education Association (@cceanv)
October 6, 2026
From Data Centers to the Pardons Board
The October 7 advertisement opens with an allegation about Ford’s legislative record.
“Aaron Ford gave data center corporations hundreds of millions of dollars that could have gone to our public schools,” the narrator says, as Senate Bill 170 appears on screen.
Ford was a co-sponsor of the bipartisan 2015 legislation establishing tax abatements for qualifying data centers. The legislation authorized reductions in taxes otherwise owed.
Ford has since proposed pausing new data-center abatements pending an audit of whether participating companies have fulfilled their commitments.
The advertisement then turns to taxation.
“Aaron Ford is supported by special interests that want to raise your property and sales taxes,” the narrator claims.
The allegation concerns the positions of Ford’s supporters, rather than identifying a specific tax increase Ford himself has proposed.
Finally, CCEA raises Ford’s involvement in the Norman Smith clemency controversy.
“As Attorney General, Aaron Ford asked the pardons board to grant early release to a convicted killer who gunned down a young mother and her unborn son,” the advertisement states.
The advertisement also revisits Ford’s role in the Norman Smith clemency controversy.
Ford was the sole sponsor of Smith’s commutation application before the Nevada Board of Pardons Commissioners. Smith, convicted in connection with the killing of pregnant Tinesha Adams, sought a sentence modification that could have accelerated his release. The board denied the request.
NN&V previously reported on Ford’s sponsorship and the conflicting explanations provided by his office:
Aaron Ford’s Story on a Killer’s Clemency Bid Keeps Changing
The advertisement concludes:
“Clark County educators can’t trust a career politician to be our governor.”
Why CCEA Is Backing Lombardo
CCEA’s support for Lombardo is rooted in legislative negotiations that delivered substantial funding increases for public schools and raises for Clark County educators.
In 2023, Lombardo signed a state education budget containing approximately $2.5 billion in additional K–12 funding. Lawmakers also approved Senate Bill 231, establishing a $250 million matching fund specifically for educator compensation.
The results were substantial.
Under the 2023–2025 agreement, Clark County teachers received a 10 percent salary increase in the first year and another 8 percent in the second, along with annual step advancements, increased health insurance contributions, and additional compensation opportunities.
The union estimates that the agreement represented more than $750 million in funding.
The partnership continued in 2025. A new two-year contract approved by the Clark County School District included an estimated $214 million in additional compensation and benefits, increasing the overall value of the agreement by 10 percent.
Those accomplishments featured prominently in CCEA’s November 2025 endorsement announcement.
“Governor Lombardo is an education Governor for all Nevada’s students,” then-CCEA President Marie Neisess said.
“Working with CCEA has been a true partnership.”
The union also credited Lombardo with working to pass 21 education-related bills over two legislative sessions, including school safety and accountability measures.
CCEA says its membership includes more than 18,800 educators, with more than 38,000 registered voters living in teachers’ households. That gives its endorsement significance beyond the union’s membership rolls.
For a union whose members secured double-digit raises during Lombardo’s first term, the endorsement reflects more than a traditional partisan preference. It reflects a record of negotiations, legislative funding and compensation agreements that CCEA has publicly identified as reasons for its support.
And with its latest advertisements, the union is making clear that it is prepared not only to defend that partnership, but to campaign directly against the Democrat seeking to replace Lombardo.
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.
