The stage is set for one of the country’s most closely watched gubernatorial elections. That’s according to a late-night call by The Associated Press, about two hours after polls closed in the June 9 primaries.
Securing more than 100,000 votes, state Attorney General Aaron Ford was picked by Democratic voters as their nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in the general election this fall.
"Ford really focused on this anti-Lombardo message that, if you're not happy with the way the state is going, really pinning that on [President] Trump, on Lombardo," Lucia Starbuck, politics reporter for KUNR Public Radio.
Among the top concerns for Nevadans was affordability, said KNPR's Jimmy Romo, who spent the day of the primary speaking with voters in East Las Vegas.
"I talked to one gentleman yesterday, who said that he's been out of a job because of tariffs," said Romo. "He's just taking care of his kid,s because child care is also super expensive. Another gentleman I spoke to was semi-retired but still has to work to make ends meet."
On the other side of the Las Vegas Valley, in Summerlin, voters also brought up immigration.
"Republicans listed it more often in their litany of key issues than Democrats did," said Nevada Public Radio's Anne Davis. "That aligns with some of the national-level polling we saw earlier this year."
Another concern that voters raised time and again was AI data centers, said Starbuck, who added that she'll be closely watching races for Nevada's top offices, such as Attorney General, come fall.
Guests: Anne Davis, assistant editor, Nevada Public Radio; Jimmy Romo, Indigenous Affairs reporter/producer, KNPR; Lucia Starbuck, politics reporter, KUNR Public Radio
