Joe Lombardo (Nevada politician)

Joe Lombardo was born in Japan in 1962 into an Air Force family and moved around the world as a child; after his father was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, the family settled in Las Vegas.⁠[1][2]

He attended Rancho High School in North Las Vegas and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After graduating he served in the U.S. Army and the Nevada National Guard, and he also served in the U.S. Army Reserve.⁠[2][1]

After his military service Lombardo joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), where he worked for 26 years and served at nearly every level, from detective to assistant sheriff.⁠[2]

While at LVMPD he earned a Master of Science in Crisis Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2006.⁠[2]

In 2014 Lombardo was elected Sheriff of Clark County, defeating Larry Burns 51% to 49%; on June 12, 2018, he won re-election outright with 72.8% in the nonpartisan primary, and the November general election for the office was canceled.⁠[1]

As sheriff of Nevada’s largest county, he oversaw a $1.3 billion budget and 6,000 employees.⁠[2]

On August 3, 2018, Lombardo presented a 187-page final report on the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, in which 58 people were killed and 887 injured; police closed the investigation without determining a motive for the gunman, Stephen Paddock. He said: “Today, it's still incredibly difficult to try to comprehend this senseless act of violence.”⁠[3]

On June 14, 2022, Lombardo won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 38.4% of the vote; Joey Gilbert was second with 27.0%, and former U.S. Senator Dean Heller received 14.0%.⁠[1]

On November 8, 2022, he defeated the Democratic incumbent, Governor Steve Sisolak, 48.8% to 47.3%, becoming Nevada’s 31st governor; he took office on January 2, 2023.⁠[1][2]

His official biography says his priorities as governor are diversifying and revitalizing Nevada’s economy, restoring law and order in communities across the state, and bringing excellence, school choice and accountability to the education system.⁠[2]

In 2023 he issued 75 vetoes, a Nevada record for a single legislative session; that year he also signed a Democrat-sponsored proposal to create a $250 million matching fund for teacher raises.⁠[1]

During the 2025 legislative session, his Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act (AB 540) established the Nevada Attainable Housing Account, backed by a $133 million General Fund appropriation. On October 12, 2026, the Nevada Attainable Housing Council approved about $38 million from the account for 10 housing projects expected to support 891 homes and rental units.⁠[4]

On August 24, 2026, Nevada, together with the Colorado River Commission of Nevada and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, sued the U.S. Department of the Interior in federal district court to set aside its Record of Decision on Colorado River operations. Lombardo said: “This isn’t about political posturing; this is a matter of survival for a community that represents about two-thirds of our state’s citizens and the lion’s share of its economy.” On October 16, 2026, Arizona announced it was joining the lawsuit.⁠[5][6]

On June 9, 2026, Lombardo won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 90.8% of the vote.⁠[1]

In the November 3 general election he faced the Democratic nominee, Attorney General Aaron Ford. Early on November 4, 2026, the Associated Press called the race for Ford; as of 10:06 a.m. that day, AP data showed Ford with 51.7% and Lombardo with 44.2%, with an estimated 87% of votes counted.⁠[7][8]

Lombardo called Ford to concede and posted a statement on Facebook: “Whether you cast your vote for me or Attorney General Aaron Ford, we are all Nevadans.” He described serving as governor as “the honor of my lifetime.”⁠[8][7]

Office of the Governor of Nevada: Official website: https://gov.nv.gov/ (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

X: Public account: https://x.com/JosephMLombardo (opens in a new window).⁠[2]