Money matters in politics, and Gov. Joe Lombardo has a lot of it.
Last week, Lombardo’s campaign announced that he raised about $4.5 million last year. That gives him more than $9 million in the bank. Combined with money in his PACs, his re-election campaign has more than $15 million.
Attorney General and Democrat gubernatorial front-runner Aaron Ford raised less than $2.3 million last year. His expenses topped $1.1 million. It looks like he replaced lobbyist-funded travel with donor-funded travel. His campaign spent lavishly on steakhouses, airfare and hotel stays.
Ford has less than $1.6 million in the bank. Combined with PAC money, he has a bit more than $2 million.
Now, talking about money may seem crass. In an ideal world, politics would be a contest of ideas. Candidates would share their governing philosophies and debate policy proposals. Voters would carefully weigh every candidate’s ideas and character.
But that’s not the world in which we live. Yes, there are people who care deeply about those things — and many of you read this column. But the voters who decide elections aren’t obsessively studying the issues. They’re busy. That’s why candidates speak in soundbites and negative campaigning is so effective.
Looking at money is important for two reasons. One, money spent well translates into votes. This is why both the Democrat National Committee and Turning Point Action are dumping resources into Nevada. Money allows you to identify and turn out your voters.
Money pays for political ads, which can drive up your opponent’s disapproval ratings and boost your approval numbers. No one likes to admit that negative ads work, but they do.
Remember all of the commercials from Democrats over the past two cycles claiming Republicans would ban abortion? Republicans have the presidency and majorities in the House and Senate. The murder of preborn children in Nevada remains legal. But the onslaught of ads helped several Nevada Democrats win re-election.
Ford is a gold mine of opposition research, too. Ford’s vacation tab tops $140,000. Spending time out of Nevada on special interest-funded junkets won’t win over swing voters. Then there’s the fact that Ford hired his old law firm to lead Nevada’s opioid litigation. It’s likely his old firm raked in around $200 million from those efforts.
Two, not raising enough money can lead to a doom spiral. Wealthy donors don’t like throwing their money away, even if doing so helps Ford rack up Marriott points. Without money, a campaign can flounder, which dries up future money — and so on.
Ford’s biggest advantage is that Democrat voters will probably be fired up to vote to express their opposition to President Donald Trump. The economy is also a major variable. If it’s doing poorly, voters will likely assign some of the blame to Lombardo.
Gasoline prices remain a major wildcard. Trump’s energy policies have lowered prices, but California’s refinery closures look likely to send Nevada gas prices skyrocketing.
Bottom line: Lombardo is a favorite, but there’s a lot of time left.
Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow
@victorjoecks on X.
Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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