During the campaign, Lombardo, the sheriff of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, criticized Sisolak’s handling of crime and the coronavirus pandemic, and took advantage of voters’ economic struggles in states where inflation remains particularly high. He said he would be a “pro-life governor” but tried to downplay the issue and said he would follow the “vote of the people.”
“Our victory is a victory for all Nevadans who want our state to get back on track,” Lombardo said in a statement Friday night. It’s a win for individuals, students, and law enforcement.”
Lombardo’s victory saw many Democratic incumbents defy the hopes of a Republican red wave that had won fierce elections in Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, and Oregon, with independent candidates gaining Democratic votes. It marks the Republican Party’s first gubernatorial pick-up in a divided year.
In contrast to other Republican supporters in Nevada, Lombardo rejected former President Donald Trump’s baseless allegations that the 2020 election was stolen, saying the lies haunted him in the debate. After overwhelming a dozen other candidates with Trump’s support in a crowded Republican primary, he sometimes distanced himself from Trump but continued to campaign with the former president. rice field.
Lombardo also called for diversifying Nevada’s tourism-dependent economy and criticized the public education system.
Sisolak’s election in 2018 gave his party unitary control of the state government for the first time in decades, as Democrats won a majority in the state legislature.
Lombardo received extensive financial support from Robert Bigelow, a Nevada businessman and owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain, who spent more than $13 million on a political action committee promoting Lombardo. . This allowed Lombardo to counter Sisolak’s funding dominance.
Democrats have had success in Nevada in recent years, but both parties expected this year’s election to be close, as statewide elections are always won by a few points or less. Until 2008, there was Republican Governor Brian Sandoval.
Amy B Wang contributed to this report.
