Republican Joe Lombardo won the Nevada governor’s race, pulling out an upset over Democratic incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak and marking a key midterm pickup for the GOP in one of the most tightly contested races this cycle.
Sisolak released a statement on Friday evening conceding.
“While votes are still coming in – and we need every ballot tallied and every voice heard – it appears we will fall a percentage point or so short of winning,” he said.
Lombardo emerged as a clear favorite among GOP voters during the primary election, polling far ahead of all his Republican rivals — even picking up a coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump. The Republican nominee also benefited from strong polling numbers in the final stretch of the midterm cycle, narrowly leading Sisolak by just under a point by the end of October.
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Lombardo’s win marks the end of a contentious midterm cycle for the governor’s seat that saw numerous attack ads and sharp criticism from both candidates despite once working together on state issues. Just five years ago, the Clark County sheriff stood alongside Sisolak, then the Clark County Commission chairman, to announce the creation of a fund that would raise money for the victims of the deadly mass shooting at the Las Vegas strip in 2017.
Despite being endorsed by Trump, Lombardo positioned himself as a centrist candidate on a slew of issues.
Although the Catholic spent much of his campaign denouncing late-term abortions and “abortion on demand” as stances that are “wildly out of touch with Nevadans,” he vowed to uphold state law that allows the procedure. He also pledged to ensure access to contraceptives, calling it “an essential part of healthcare and preventing unwanted pregnancies.”
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Lombardo also knocked his opponent for his stance on gun control, pointing to Sisolak’s safety measures passed by the Democratic-led legislature that implemented red flag laws across the state as well as a federal ban on bump stocks.
Lombardo’s win as governor will give Republicans more influence over state laws passed by the Democratic-led legislature, acting as the final hurdle before legislation can be passed.
