Nevada has flipped. Democrat Aaron Ford, the state's attorney general, has defeated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, according to race calls from CBS News and NBC News, ending Lombardo's bid for a second term in one of the most competitive governor's races in the country this cycle.

With the vast majority of ballots counted, Ford led Lombardo by roughly seven points, about 51 percent to 44 percent, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal tally, with independent candidate Danielle Ford — no relation — pulling under 3 percent. Lombardo conceded the race Tuesday night.

A historic first

Ford's win makes him Nevada's first Black governor, and multiple outlets reporting the race noted he will be the first Black governor elected anywhere west of the Mississippi River. He is already Nevada's sitting attorney general, a post he has held since 2019, and had run for governor once before, losing narrowly to Lombardo in 2022.

The rematch became one of the most expensive and nationally watched governor's races of the cycle, framed by both parties as a test of whether a Republican governor who kept some distance from President Trump could survive a difficult midterm environment in a swing state Trump has carried before. He could not. Lombardo entered the race with a significant fundraising advantage — more than $10 million on hand to Ford's roughly $2 million as of the spring — but was unable to overcome headwinds facing Republican incumbents nationally on Tuesday.

Part of a bigger night

Nevada was one of several governorships that changed hands this week as part of a broader Democratic sweep of the 2026 midterms, which also saw the party take back control of Congress. Nevada's economy, heavily dependent on tourism and hospitality, had struggled over the past year with falling visitor numbers and the effects of new tariffs, issues Ford's campaign leaned on throughout the race.

Ford will take office with Democrats also expanding their footholds in the state legislature, giving him a considerably friendlier governing environment than Lombardo had. His transition team has not yet detailed a legislative agenda, but Ford campaigned heavily on affordability, housing costs and shoring up the state's tourism-dependent budget.

Lombardo, in his concession, called the race hard-fought and congratulated Ford, according to a statement carried by 8 News Now. He is expected to remain active in state Republican politics after leaving office in January.