As Democrats swept to control of the U.S. House and Senate on Tuesday night, flipping seats in Republican strongholds like Texas and South Carolina, the blue wave hit the state’s biggest race: Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s successfully unseated Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo.

Ford led Lombardo 51.7% to 44.1% in the latest batch of results released around 3 a.m. Ford’s margin was about 74,000 votes out of 977,678 counted. Those early numbers included early in-person voting and mail ballots received before Election Day. The Associated Press called the race for Ford around 1:46 a.m.

Thousands of mail ballots remain to be counted in the coming days, and those ballots typically favor Democrats.

Nevada law allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted as long as they are received by 5 p.m. Saturday. Voters whose ballots have signature problems have until 5 p.m. Monday to fix them.

“This race right now we believe is too close to call,” Ford said late Tuesday in addressing supporters. “The polls have closed but there is still work to be done. Be patient, I need you to stay calm, I need you to keep the faith.”

Democrats framed the election as a referendum on President Donald Trump, who carried Nevada by about 3 points in 2024 and endorsed Lombardo. Trump’s tariff policies have hampered tourism and raised prices on goods, and the U.S. war with Iran has pushed gas prices well over $5 a gallon, among the highest in the nation.

That displeasure led to long lines at polling sites — with the last votes not cast until nearly midnight.

“We have lines. Lines that we have not seen in years; people waited in line two hours, three hours in order to have their voices counted,” U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said. “That is what community looks like”

Lombardo attempted to remain optimistic, casting Nevada as a potential exception to the national blue wave trend.

“We are going to be the unique state in this national picture because we’re going to be successful here in a couple hours,” he told supporters at an election night party at Durango Resort.

He warned that the first batch of results would likely favor Democrats, saying that “I don’t want anybody to lose any enthusiasm when the first dump comes.”

Lombardo also pointed to uncertainty about how nonpartisan voters would break.

“We still have no idea what the nonpartisans are going to do in this endeavor,” he said. “I anticipate success, and I want everybody to remain upbeat.”

A Ford win would give Democrats control of the Nevada Senate, the Assembly and the governor’s office, allowing them to revisit some of the record 87 bills Lombardo vetoed in 2025.

Throughout his campaign, Ford pledged to sign a number of those bills, including measures on safe hospital staffing, school lunches and extended sick leave. He said he hopes the bills will provide relief for Nevada families struggling with rising costs.

Ford, a two-term attorney general, focused his campaign on the rising cost of groceries, gas, housing and health care, and sought to tie Lombardo to Trump’s policies. If elected, he would be Nevada’s first Black governor.

“I will not claim a victory that has not been earned, and I won’t ask anyone to concede before the voters have finished speaking,” Ford said.

While Ford is waiting to celebrate, his supporters are partying into the night. April Harris, who made phone calls for his campaign, said she’s “so excited. It is so wonderful; all our work was not in vain.”

Congressional races

In Southern Nevada, Democrats are positioned to keep all three congressional seats they hold.

In the 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus led Republican state Sen. Carrie Buck 60% to 38%. Titus, the dean of Nevada’s congressional delegation, is seeking a ninth term.

In the 3rd Congressional District, long viewed as Republicans’ best chance to pick up a seat in Nevada, Rep. Susie Lee led Republican Marty O’Donnell, a Trump-endorsed video game soundtrack composer, 60% to 38%.

In the 4th Congressional District, which stretches from northern Clark County into rural central Nevada, Horsford led Republican Cody Whipple, a rancher and small-business owner, 61% to 38%.

“Tonight, the people who make Nevada work spoke up and because of that we’re going to win tonight,” Horsford said. “There’s a lot to celebrate tonight.”

In Northern Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, which has been held by a Republican since it was created after the 1980 census, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson leads Republican David Flippo, 50% to 45%. That race hasn’t been called.

The two are vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., who refused to endorse Flippo, calling him a “fraud” and “arrogant.”

“Can you hear it? Can you hear it? It’s coming, it’s building, it’s coming to Nevada, it’s that damn blue wave that’s sweeping the country,” Titus told supporters.

In a statement, Lee said, “with our new majority in Congress, we know the work we have to do. It’s simple: make life less expensive and make our country more safe.”

Other races

Democrats have an advantage in every statewide race, including Nicole Cannizzaro projected as the winner against of Adriana Guzmán Fralick 57%-41% for attorney general — the position held the previous two terms by Ford.

Sandra Jauregui is leading incumbent Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony 55%-41%, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar leads Jim Marchant 57%-40%, and Tya Mathis-Coleman is ahead 55%-43% over Drew Johnson for state treasurer.

For state controller, Michael MacDougall is in front of Andy Matthews, 55%-43%.

“In this moment when protecting our elections and strengthening confidence in our democratic process is so important, I am grateful for his work to ensure every eligible Nevadan can make their voice heard,” Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno said in a statement congratulating Aguilar. 

Ballot questions

Nevada voters gave a second approval to Question 6, which writes the state’s existing abortion protections into the Nevada Constitution. NBC News projected the measure’s approval, and in early returns it was winning 63.4% to 36.6%, with about 69% of expected votes counted. In 2024, the same ballot question passed with 64% of the vote.

Abortion remains legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks after the start of a pregnancy, and later if a physician believes the pregnant person’s life or health is at risk, and the measure does not change that law.

But its passage makes the 24-week standard harder to challenge, since changing it would now require another ballot question approved twice.

Nevada Democrats and reproductive rights advocates had pitched the measure as a way to protect abortion access permanently and put it beyond the reach of future Legislatures, citing uncertainty nationally and President Donald Trump’s stance on reproductive rights.

Voters likewise approved Question 7, which will require Nevadans to verify their identity before casting a ballot.

NBC News projected its passage, and it was leading with about 61% yes in early counts. The measure had been widely expected to pass after Nevada voters backed it 73%-27% in 2024. In-person voters will have to show an accepted photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, military or tribal ID, or a Nevada public college student ID.

The ID may be expired for up to four years, or any length of time for voters over 70.

Mail voters will instead provide the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number.