Lombardo, Ford win Nevada governor primaries, set up race

Incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo and Democratic challenger Aaron Ford will face each other in Nevada's November election after securing their parties' primary victories on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the races shortly after results began coming in, setting up one of the most competitive and highest-profile gubernatorial contests in the country this year.

In the Republican primary, Lombardo, who was elected in 2022, defeated six challengers and garnered 91.4 percent of the vote according to preliminary results released Tuesday night. On the Democratic side, state Attorney General Ford bested several opponents, including his most formidable challenger, progressive Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill. Ford received 66.2 percent of the vote to Hill's 21.1 percent, with the totals as of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The race is already considered a toss-up, with national political analysts rating it among Democrats' best opportunities to flip a governor's seat. Lombardo is seen as one of the most vulnerable incumbent governors in the nation. This dynamic has driven heavy campaign spending in the state, where the gubernatorial contest is the main attraction in an election...