NFIB Endorses Gov. Joe Lombardo for Reelection, Citing Veto Record and Right-to-Work Protections

CARSON CITY, NV — The political action committee for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in Nevada has officially endorsed Republican incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo for reelection.

The announcement—issued Tuesday by the state’s leading small-business advocacy organization—sets up a direct contrast in the 2026 gubernatorial contest, arriving hours after the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) broke ranks to endorse Democratic challenger Attorney General Aaron Ford.

+--------------------------------------------------------+
|          NFIB NV PAC GUBERNATORIAL DOSSIER             |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  - Endorsing Body: NFIB NV PAC                         |
|  - Endorsed Candidate: Gov. Joe Lombardo (Republican)  |
|  - Opponent Targeted: AG Aaron Ford (Democrat)         |
|  - Key Leadership Voice: Tray Abney (NV State Director)|
|  - Core Legislative Pillars Praised:                   |
|      • Business Court Creation (AJR 8)                 |
|      • Multi-Jurisdictional Licensing (SB 373)         |
|      • Broadening Electronic Payments (SB 358)         |
|      • Strategic Vetoes Against Regulatory Burdens     |
|  - Primary Warning Issued: Ford Stance on Eliminating   |
|    or Weakening Nevada's Longstanding Right to Work Law|
|  - Campaign Climate: Follows Morning RAN Defection     |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

A Champion for Main Street and Regulatory Restraint

Announcing the endorsement on behalf of the NFIB NV PAC, Nevada State Director Tray Abney characterized Lombardo as a consistent partner for independent enterprises navigating post-pandemic cost pressures.

Abney credited the governor for serving as an institutional check in Carson City by vetoing measures business advocates argued would have increased compliance overhead, workplace liabilities, and corporate mandates.

Beyond executive vetoes, the association specifically praised Lombardo for signing key economic legislation, including:

Assembly Joint Resolution 8 (AJR 8): Paving the way for specialized business courts to expedite commercial dispute resolution.
Senate Bill 373 (SB 373): Establishing multi-jurisdictional business licensure to reduce bureaucratic duplication across county and municipal boundaries.
Senate Bill 358 (SB 358): Modernizing statutory frameworks by broadening permitted electronic forms of payment for commercial transactions.

Right to Work Takes Center Stage

The NFIB directly targeted Ford’s platform, pointing to labor policy as an existential issue for Nevada’s independent employers.

The association warned that Ford’s alignment with organized labor and past openness to re-evaluating the state’s longstanding Right to Work statute would introduce instability into private-sector hiring and operational overhead.

+--------------------------------------------------------+
|             KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM NFIB ENDORSEMENT        |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  • Main Street Balance: Small-business owners praise   |
|    governor for holding the line against mandates      |
|  • Labor Fault Lines: Right to Work framed as a litmus |
|    test disqualifying Ford from NFIB support           |
|  • Competing Coalitions: Business community splits     |
|    between NFIB/Chamber (Lombardo) and RAN (Ford)      |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

“The choice between the two major candidates for governor could not be clearer and easier to make for Nevada’s small business owners,” Abney said in a statement. “Joe Lombardo is a proven friend of Main Street enterprises and has worked side by side with small business owners to provide needed balance in Carson City. Lombardo’s opponent Aaron Ford has threatened to chip away at or eliminate entirely the state’s Right to Work law, which disqualifies him from any serious consideration for small businesses’ endorsement.”

The NFIB endorsement bolsters Lombardo’s coalition among independent trade and construction contractors, aligning with earlier endorsements from the Vegas Chamber and the Nevada Mining Association.

However, with the Retail Association of Nevada backing Ford over credit card swipe fees and healthcare costs, the competing announcements highlight a fractured business front heading into early voting.

Source: National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) NV PAC Official Press Release, Nevada Secretary of State Campaign Filings, The Nevada Independent Campaign Bureau.