A Clamor in Nevada

Ford and Lombardo Square Off

If there’s one thing about Nevada politics, a quiet day is as likely as snow in the desert—possible, but only under the most peculiar circumstances. And last month, when Attorney General Aaron Ford released his 72-page tome of “model immigration policies,” it set off a political scuffle that will likely define the 2026 gubernatorial race.

The combatants? Ford, a Democrat, and Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. The whole business over immigration policies is a classic case of two men looking at the same instruction booklet and reaching entirely different conclusions.

Ford insists that his guidelines were to help local governments and law enforcement agencies about how to handle the ever-bewildering labyrinth of federal immigration laws. According to his office, the idea is to keep state and local agencies from getting tangled in federal enforcement efforts they are not required to participate in—thus sparing the state’s coffers and bolstering trust between immigrant communities and the police.

Reading the document, Lombardo immediately proclaimed it as instructions to create a “sanctuary state.” What constitutes a sanctuary state is a topic of political poetry; in this case, it was to imply that Ford’s policies invited foreign individuals to enter freely.

Ford, naturally, denies this, declaring that he supports no sanctuary for “any criminal—period.” But the matter remained a source of outrage for political operatives on both sides, who need sustenance to keep themselves riled.

If one thought that a raging political fight over immigration would be enough to keep Nevada’s governing class busy, one would be mistaken. Like a chef who discovered a cabinet full of spices, Ford added another ingredient to the political stew by calling out Lombardo for supporting President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate the Department of Education.

Yes, dear reader, the institution overseeing the mechanization of America’s school districts now finds itself on the chopping block, and Ford has wasted no time predicting doom.

“The fact is, Joe Lombardo just sold out Nevada’s kids and their futures,” Ford thundered, likely pounding his fist on a lectern for added effect.

Others followed suit, with members of Nevada’s education establishment warning that the loss of federal funding would be catastrophic. Over the last five years, they argued, nearly six billion dollars have flowed into the state’s schools from Washington, and the idea that Nevada could replace those funds with its meager coffers was as laughable as a one-legged man entering a footrace.

Lombardo, however, remains unfazed. He insists that education is best left to the states, that eliminating the federal department will lead to a “localized, innovative, and accountable” approach, and that Nevada’s bottom-rung ranking in education suggests the status quo isn’t worth defending.

Meanwhile, Ford is already licking his chops at the prospect of yet another lawsuit. “I know that Trump said Pell Grants won’t be affected, well I don’t believe him,” Ford said, a sentiment roughly translating to, “I’ll see you in court.”

And with that, Nevada’s two political heavyweights have set the stage for a 2026 contest that will feature immigration, education, and the broader question of whether the federal government should be meddling in the affairs of the Silver State. The ink will flow freely, the coffee will percolate, and by the time this is all said and done, Ford and Lombardo will have filled enough press releases to paper the Great Basin.

Whether Nevada’s students, immigrants, or taxpayers benefit from the fracas remains to be seen, but at least the political class will have something to keep them occupied.