LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Attorney General Aaron Ford said the state remains in what he calls the “Lombardo-Trump economy,” citing high housing, healthcare and energy costs as he continues campaigning for governor.
Ford spoke in an interview following the primary election, saying the issues he has heard from voters have not changed in recent months.
“I continue to hear concerns about high housing costs, high healthcare costs, high energy costs, about an education system that needs a leader who’s really dedicated to it,” Ford said.
Ford said his Affordable Nevada Plan addresses those issues and will remain his focus through the rest of the election.
Small businesses and tariffs
The interview took place at Esmeralda’s, a restaurant Ford said is owned by someone he has known for years. Ford said the owner has had to make adjustments because of the economy.
“She’s told me that the tariffs have caused all her prices to increase,” Ford said. “It’s stagnated her visitation of her customers. She’s not able to hire. She’s actually having to let people go.”
Ford said Governor Joe Lombardo believes the state should support “Trump’s billionaire friends” because “they create the jobs,” while Ford said small businesses like Esmeralda’s are the ones creating jobs.
Ford said he has received the endorsement of the Retail Association of Nevada.
Response to Trump administration
Ford said that as governor, he would speak up against Donald Trump when he believes Trump is harming Nevadans, citing his record of suing former President Joe Biden as attorney general when he believed Biden’s actions harmed the state.
Ford said he would not say things like “we should feel a little pain from the tariffs,” a reference to a past statement, or celebrate what he called “the big beautiful bill” after it removed 100,000 Nevadans from Medicaid, according to Ford.
Ford said he would also work with a legislature to pass laws providing relief on prescription drugs, housing and energy.
Gas prices
Ford said gas and diesel prices are “upwards of almost $7” because of the war in Iran, which he said Lombardo has endorsed and asked Congress to send more money for.
Ford said he could sign laws to put money back in residents’ pockets to help offset gas costs and work with neighboring states on energy efficiency.
AI data centers
Ford said opposition to AI data centers in the state is bipartisan, citing concerns he has heard in Pahrump, Boulder City and Minden regarding a Yerington-based data center.
Ford said he would stop all future tax abatements for data centers until the state audits companies that have already received tax breaks to ensure compliance with their agreements.
Ford said he would also require that data centers not raise energy prices for any consumer, noting he has introduced legislation requiring data centers to have their own rate case to cover their own expenses, build out the grid for their own energy needs and use clean and green energy.
Ford said communities should not be forced to accept a data center if they do not want one, citing opposition in Boulder City and what he described as an effort by Trump to place a data center on public lands there.
School funding
Ford addressed the Clark County School District’s $51 million in budget cuts, which could result in moving or eliminating teaching positions due to a drop in enrollment.
Ford said addressing the issue requires a consistent relationship with school districts beyond legislative sessions and said the state’s budgeting priorities play a role. He said Lombardo spent $25 million on office furniture, money Ford said could have been used elsewhere.
Ford said he would work with the legislature, school districts and the Nevada State Education Association, which he said has endorsed him.
Campaign ad criticism
Ford responded to a campaign advertisement referencing office furniture purchases and claiming he has been out of the state for more than 400 days.
Ford said his office did not request the office curtains referenced in the ad, saying the governor’s public works office requested them and the governor’s finance office director signed the contract.
Ford disputed the 400-day figure, citing a Nevada Independent analysis that found he has taken 16 vacation days in seven and a half years in office. Ford said his travel is related to work with attorneys general in other states and other countries, including coordination with Mexican officials on fentanyl and firearms trafficking and negotiations over a $1.2 billion opioid settlement involving California.
Crime
Ford said crime has dropped 12% under his administration, which he attributed to what he called a holistic approach to criminal justice that includes punishment, rehabilitation during incarceration and restoration to the community afterward.
Ford said his office has helped secure compensation for people who were wrongly convicted.
Elections
Ford said Nevada has some of the safest elections in the nation, citing a ranking from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology placing the state second in election security.
Ford said he would continue to defend the state’s electoral process in court, citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court case involving Trump and the state’s mail-in voting process. Ford said Lombardo did not speak up on the issue and has called for limiting mail-in voting despite having voted by mail in four of the last five elections, according to Ford.
Corporate home ownership
Ford said he would sign legislation by state Sen. Dina Neal limiting corporate ownership of homes, a bill he said passed the legislature twice but was vetoed once by Lombardo and blocked a second time by Senate Republicans.
Ford said 25% of homes in North Las Vegas and 15% of homes in Clark County are owned by corporations, which he said are able to pay cash and outcompete buyers using 30-year mortgages.
Election outlook
Citing a RealClearPolitics poll showing the race tied at 42-42, Ford said he expects a close race. Ford said Lombardo has spent $20 million on negative advertising that has not changed the poll numbers.
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