Republican Governor Joe Lombardo is turning Gavin Newsom into a central weapon in Nevada’s closely watched election, as he seeks to link Democratic rival Aaron Ford to California’s high costs and controversial energy policies.
The contest is being closely watched beyond Nevada. Newsom, California’s governor and a possible 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is already testing his appeal in the neighbouring swing state through his endorsement of Ford and a recent campaign visit.
Lombardo has accused Ford of trying to import Newsom’s agenda into Nevada, while blaming the California governor for the state’s steep petrol prices. Much of Nevada’s fuel is imported from California, and the average price of regular petrol was $4.97 a gallon on September 7, according to AAA. ([gasprices.aaa.com](https://gasprices.aaa.com/page/26/?state=NV&utm_source=openai))
“The contrast is simple: I’m fighting Gavin Newsom’s agenda and Aaron Ford is trying to import it into Nevada,” Lombardo said.
The Republican governor argues that California’s efforts to cut carbon emissions, along with regulations affecting refineries and fuel supplies, have pushed up costs for Nevada motorists. The line allows him to acknowledge widespread economic frustration without directly blaming President Donald Trump, whose administration Ford has repeatedly held responsible for rising household bills.
Ford rejects the argument, saying petrol prices rose sharply after the war began in February and that voters can see the causes for themselves.
“Lombardo tries to cast blame elsewhere, but everyone knows that when the war started in February, that we saw our gas prices increase almost immediately,” Ford said after a town hall in Las Vegas. “People believe their own eyes, and they remember their experiences.”
Gavin Newsom’s Nevada test
The campaign has given Newsom an unusually prominent role in a state where he may need to perform well if he seeks the White House. The Democratic National Committee has proposed South Carolina as the first contest in 2028, followed by Nevada on February 1, making the state one of the earliest tests of the presidential field. ([democrats.org](https://democrats.org/dnc-rules-and-bylaws-committee-proposes-early-states-for-2028-democratic-presidential-nominating-calendar/?utm_source=openai))
Newsom has not declared a presidential campaign, but he has been building relationships with Democrats across the country. In July, he appeared alongside Ford at the opening of a campaign office in Las Vegas, where he was introduced as the governor of California. A supporter in the crowd shouted, “Our next president!”
Newsom’s office declined to comment. A person close to the governor said Republicans were helping to raise his profile by putting his name on billboards and in political advertising across an important early-voting state.
“Republicans seem awfully concerned about an endorsement from someone who leads the 2028 Democratic field in Nevada by nearly 2-to-1,” the person said, referring to an Emerson poll of a hypothetical Democratic primary field conducted in November 2025.
For Lombardo’s allies, however, the endorsement offers an opportunity to define Ford before voters focus fully on the governor’s record. The Lombardo-aligned Better Nevada political action committee has funded billboards and digital adverts carrying messages such as: “Newsom and Ford: Shared vision. Shared values.”
Jeremy Hughes, a Nevada Republican strategist who runs the PAC, described Newsom as deeply unpopular in the state and said Ford had made a mistake by bringing him into the campaign.
The PAC has also circulated polling claiming that Newsom’s favourability in Nevada is 20 points underwater and that he would lose a hypothetical 2028 contest against Vice-President JD Vance. The findings have not been independently verified.
Ford has sought to turn Lombardo’s strategy back on him by repeatedly referring to the “Lombardo-Trump economy”. He argues that the Republican governor should be held accountable for the cost of living, rather than directing voters’ anger towards California.
“Voters absolutely tie the handling of the economy to Trump,” said Mike Noble, an independent pollster who works regularly in Nevada. “Instead of blaming Trump, why not tie it to the boogeyman next door and blame California?”
California’s influence in Nevada
Republican attacks on California are a familiar feature of Nevada politics. The two states share a border, economic links and a steady flow of residents, with roughly one in five Nevadans born in California.
Conservatives have long portrayed California as an expensive, highly regulated and politically progressive neighbour whose policies threaten Nevada’s lower-tax identity. The argument intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic, when thousands of Californians moved to Nevada in search of cheaper housing and living costs.
Lombardo’s campaign is now using that history to portray Ford as a candidate who would make Nevada more like the state next door. His campaign has also highlighted Newsom’s involvement in the race in statements and advertisements, making the California governor’s endorsement one of the most recognisable facts about Ford among voters, according to people familiar with the PAC’s internal polling.
Ford’s supporters believe the message will have limited impact. Donna West, chair of the Nevada Democratic Party’s senior caucus, said former Californians understood the state’s drawbacks but also recognised the strength of its economy and Newsom’s record in running it.
“They understand California costs more,” West said. “They also understand that California is the fourth-largest economy in the entire world, and that Gavin Newsom ran that as effectively as he possibly can.”
The Nevada governor’s race is expected to be among the most competitive contests of the 2026 midterm elections. Ford won the Democratic nomination in June and will face Lombardo in November, in a battle that could provide an early indication of whether Newsom’s brand is an asset or a liability in the West. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3b464ffdedf689387c5a099ba6c0d060?utm_source=openai))
For Newsom, the stakes could extend beyond this year’s state contest. A strong Democratic performance in Nevada would strengthen his standing among the party’s early-voting electorate; a Republican victory driven in part by attacks on his record would give opponents a ready-made argument for the 2028 presidential race.
