Attorney General Aaron Ford plans to run for governor in 2026, he confirmed to The Nevada Independent.

Ford’s potential entry into the race would make him the highest-profile Democrat to consider challenging Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who plans to run for re-election. Elected to the attorney general’s office in 2018, Ford won re-election in 2022 and cannot run again because of term limits.

“I do intend to seek higher office, and I have been having informal conversations with people across the state to better understand what they believe Nevada needs in its next governor,” Ford said. “These discussions are an important part of determining how I can best serve our state.”

Ford has continued to host fundraising events throughout the year in Northern and Southern Nevada despite being prohibited from running for another term. His latest campaign finance record, from Jan. 15, 2024, indicated that he started the year with about $200,000 in his bank account. 

Before becoming attorney general, Ford worked as an attorney and was a member of the state Senate. First elected in 2012, he served as the Senate majority leader in 2017. As attorney general, Ford has been in the headlines for his office’s work in negotiating multimillion-dollar settlements with opioid companies, as well as for bringing criminal charges against Nevada’s so-called fake electors.

During the 2023 legislative session, Ford’s office proposed and passed laws addressing organized retail crime, making it easier for law enforcement to respond to domestic violence incidents and increasing penalties for fentanyl possession. Ahead of the 2025 legislative session, Ford has proposed legislation addressing child pornography and banning price manipulation of essential goods and services.

Polling has shown that Lombardo is popular and could be a formidable opponent. But it’s unclear how decisions made in the upcoming legislative session, where Democrats hold majorities in both chambers, could affect Lombardo’s re-election bid. 

In 2023, Lombardo rejected 75 bills passed by the Legislature, setting a new legislative record. 

No other Democrat has announced intentions to run for governor.