Nevada Governor’s Race Enters Election Day Without Clear Leader

Nevada’s closely contested governor’s race between Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford reached Election Day on November 3 with forecasts split over which candidate had the advantage. The election’s outcome had not been established in the reported pre-election assessments, and Nevada’s Secretary of State says results remain unofficial until the statewide canvass is complete. Forecasts published November 2 differed. One projected Ford at 49.4% to Lombardo’s 48.3% and gave Ford a 57% chance of winning. Two other models put Lombardo ahead, by 2.9 percentage points in one forecast and with a 70% win probability; another assigned him a 54% chance. The estimates are forecasts, not vote counts. The official Washoe County candidate list named a third contender, nonpartisan Danielle Ford, alongside Lombardo and Aaron D. Ford. The Secretary of State’s office says the statewide canvass must be completed by November 13, and that results do not become official until it is finished. The contest has centered in part on economic pressures and the direction of state policy. Lombardo has promoted economic development and industry recruitment, while Ford...