Landmark victory

Trump Ally Dumped as Swing State Makes History

Nevada just elected its first Black governor.

Democrat Aaron Ford has been elected Nevada’s first Black governor, defeating Trump ally Joe Lombardo in a close-fought battle in the pivotal swing state.

The Associated Press has projected Ford as the winner in Nevada’s race against incumbent Lombardo, in one of the most-watched gubernatorial battles in the midterms. According to the AP, Ford has won 51 percent of the vote to Lombardo’s 43 percent with 85 percent of votes counted.

The result means Ford will be the first Black governor in the state’s history, and the first Black governor in a state west of the Mississippi River.

Lamboardo leaves office after one term, having been elected in 2022, defeating one-term Democrat Steve Sisolak

Ford campaigned on cost-of-living and affordability issues that’ve seen voters abandon Republicans in battleground states across the U.S., tying the governor to increasingly unpopular White House policies. He also made inroads with voters by campaigning against the huge data centers springing up in the state.

In response, Lombardo has walked a fine line, appearing alongside the president at campaign rallies, while also seeking to distance himself from unpopular White House policies.

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At a closed-door event in July, Lombardo attracted criticism for likening Trump to a “commanding officer,” while also claiming the relationship helped him tamp down brutal ICE anti-migration tactics in Las Vegas.

Ford has been state attorney general since 2019, and has joined lawsuits against the Trump administration over federal election interference, birthright citizenship, and education funding, NPR reported.

He is a former math teacher who also served as Nevada Senate majority and minority leader.

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The 2026 midterms have elected minority and female candidates to office for the first time in several states.

In Michigan, Democrat Abdul al Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, while in New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American governor in the state’s history. In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected as the first Black female governor.

Nevada is a key battleground swing state in the U.S., and Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win there in 2024, after George W. Bush did 20 years earlier.

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Tom PorterBreaking News Reporter

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