As the Nevada gubernatorial race intensifies, GOP candidate Joe Lombardo’s campaign released a report estimating that Democratic rival Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford’s policy agenda would cost $18.1 billion over four years. This figure includes nearly $8 billion in projected state spending and additional costs borne by businesses and the federal government, which the report says ultimately fall on taxpayers.

The Lombardo campaign assigned estimated costs to 76 of Ford’s proposals, covering sectors such as healthcare, education, housing, energy, and economic development. According to the report, Ford’s healthcare agenda carries the largest price tag at approximately $4.25 billion, including $3.5 billion for a proposal to cancel medical debt. Overall, the platform would cost roughly $4.9 billion for education, $4.8 billion for housing, more than $6 billion for healthcare, about $1.5 billion for energy, and nearly $900 million for economic development. The analysis projects $7.93 billion in direct state spending over a four-year term.

Ford’s campaign sharply disputes these calculations, arguing the analysis invents implementation plans Ford never proposed and misclassifies some federal and private costs as consequences of his platform. Ford’s spokesperson, Prerna Jagadeesh, told Fox News Digital, “General Ford won’t be lectured by a governor who proposed a budget with a $335 million unconstitutional deficit and twice broke his pledge to never raise taxes.”

University of Nevada, Reno professor Mark Pingle supported the report’s findings, stating, “Based on a review of Aaron Ford's policy proposals, an estimated cost of $18 billion is a reasonable assessment.”

The report also emphasizes the fiscal challenges of absorbing costs of this scale without significant tax increases, noting that proposals of this magnitude deserve serious scrutiny to ensure responsible budgeting and fiscal discipline.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford launched his governor campaign on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the East Las Vegas Community Center in Las Vegas.

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