Election Day in Nevada is here, and the results could reshape the state’s political landscape for years to come. From a hotly contested governor’s race to a congressional district that hasn’t flipped in decades, voters across the Silver State are deciding outcomes with national implications.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. — anyone already in line by closing time will still be allowed to vote. Because Nevada has a robust early voting and mail-in system, most ballots were already cast before today. You can find your polling location here. Reporters from The Nevada Independent are on the ground tracking voter activity, key dynamics, and any notable developments throughout the day.
Federal Crackdown on Noncitizen Voting Casts a Shadow
Election Day is unfolding against the backdrop of an aggressive push by the Trump administration to combat noncitizen voting. The Department of Justice recently filed charges against five noncitizens accused of voting in Nevada’s last two general elections. Unusually, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche — who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney — is personally named on all five indictments.
Aaron Blacksberg, a federal policy advisor at the Institute for Government Accountability, told The Nevada Independent that it is
“extremely rare”
for the attorney general to personally appear on an indictment. He added that he was unaware of Blanche’s name appearing on similar charging documents in any other state.
Blacksberg also noted that historically, the Justice Department has avoided
“public actions that could be interpreted as an attempt to influence an upcoming election”
— a norm he said has not been observed under the current administration.
Nevada’s Democratic Secretary of State, Cisco Aguilar, issued a statement saying his
“office supports investigations into election integrity violations that include credible evidence”
and that his office has met its legal obligations to the Justice Department. He also pushed back on broader federal claims, adding that he would
“continue to reject any irresponsible political spectacle, including [the administration’s] baseless claims that thousands of noncitizens are registered on Nevada’s voter rolls.”
The tension between federal and state officials has been building for months. Federal authorities had previously claimed that more than 15,000 noncitizens may appear on Nevada’s voter rolls. The Trump administration later sent state election officials a list of 185 individuals allegedly registered as noncitizens, but state officials responded that those individuals were very likely citizens. A prominent federal prosecutor from California, Bill Essayli, suggested on social media that the five charged individuals appeared on the list provided to state officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nevada declined to comment on Essayli’s post.
The Governor’s Race: Too Close to Call
The most closely watched contest in Nevada tonight is the governor’s race between Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. The shadow of President Trump looms over both candidates — his unpopularity could hurt Lombardo, who has tried to balance backing Trump’s policies while appealing to moderates, while Ford has consistently tied the two Republicans together on the campaign trail.
Nevada has a history of ticket-splitting. In 2022, voters reelected Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto while simultaneously electing Lombardo as governor. In 2024, Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen won reelection even as Trump carried the state. With the national environment currently hostile to Republicans, the outcome tonight remains genuinely uncertain.
Lombardo’s campaign has run smoothly and benefits from the advantages of incumbency. But the central question heading into tonight is whether that will be enough in a political climate that has shifted against his party.
If Ford wins, he would become the first Black governor elected in a state west of the Mississippi River and only the second Democrat to reclaim Nevada’s governorship this century. If Lombardo holds on, attention will quickly shift to what his survival says about Nevada’s electorate heading into the 2028 presidential cycle.
Also on the line is whether Democrats can flip enough legislative seats to secure a two-thirds supermajority in one or both chambers of the state legislature. Currently, Democrats are one seat short in each chamber. A supermajority would allow them to override vetoes and pass tax measures without Republican support — a development that would significantly change the dynamics of the 2027 legislative session.
A Congressional Race That Could Define Nevada’s Political Direction
Nevada’s congressional contests also carry significant weight. In several competitive districts, Republican candidates including state Sen. Carrie Buck, video game composer Marty O’Donnell, and rancher Cody Whipple have argued their campaigns can overcome the GOP’s current headwinds — though most observers remain skeptical.
The race drawing the most attention is Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, which was thrown into flux by the retirement announcement of longtime Republican Rep. Mark Amodei — a surprising move that caught even his own staff off guard. Republican David Flippo, a small business owner who switched from the 4th to the 2nd District race, received Trump’s endorsement ten days before the primary. His aggressive campaign ultimately prevailed in the primary.
Now he faces former Democratic state Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson in the general election. Independent election analysts have consistently leaned the race toward Democrats, while betting markets give Flippo roughly a 2-in-3 chance of winning.
With nearly every Nevada Republican with a future in politics backing Flippo, the key questions tonight are how loyal rank-and-file Republican voters are to their party, how effectively anti-immigration and anti-socialism messaging turns out supporters, and how independent voters break.
Complicating matters further, outside groups have attempted to redirect Republican voters toward American Independent Party candidate Lynn Chapman — a strong showing for Chapman could be Benitez-Thompson’s clearest path to victory. At the same time, other groups are employing deceptive tactics aimed at suppressing Benitez-Thompson’s own vote share.
The full picture of what Nevada’s voters have decided will come into focus as results arrive tonight. This page will continue to be updated throughout the day. You can read the full English-language version of this coverage, and browse all En Español reporting from The Nevada Independent. Learn more about supporting independent journalism in Nevada.