Retail Association of Nevada Breaks with Lombardo, Endorses Democrat Aaron Ford for Governor

LAS VEGAS, NV — In a significant shift within Nevada’s commercial business community, the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) has withdrawn its support from Republican incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo, formally endorsing Democratic challenger Attorney General Aaron Ford in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

The endorsement marks a sharp departure for the influential retail advocacy organization, which backed Lombardo during his successful 2022 campaign.

Announcing the decision Tuesday morning, RAN leadership pointed to persistent operational costs, rising credit card processing fees, and frustrations over the administration’s handling of trade and healthcare legislation.

+--------------------------------------------------------+
|          2026 RAN GUBERNATORIAL ENDORSEMENT DOSSIER    |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  - Endorsing Body: Retail Association of Nevada (RAN)  |
|  - Endorsed Candidate: AG Aaron Ford (Democrat)        |
|  - Incumbent Bypassed: Gov. Joe Lombardo (Republican)  |
|  - Historical Precedent: RAN Endorsed Lombardo in 2022 |
|  - Core Grievances Cited:                              |
|      • Legislative Veto of Prescription Drug Cap AB 259|
|      • Rising Credit Card Swipe Fees on Small Business |
|      • Tariff Fallout Impacting Tourism & Hospitality  |
|      • Executive Response to Affordability Concerns    |
|  - Competing Endorsement: Vegas Chamber Backs Lombardo |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

Economic Friction Splits Business Coalitions

RAN President Bryan Wachter stated the organization’s endorsement followed direct outreach to both campaigns, concluding that Ford’s platform offered concrete remedies for brick-and-mortar storefronts squeezed between corporate inflation and shrinking consumer margins.

Wachter specifically highlighted Lombardo’s 2025 veto of Assembly Bill 259, which sought to tie state prescription drug prices to federal Medicare benchmarks. Lombardo defended the veto by arguing price caps could disrupt medication supplies, but retail advocates countered that unaddressed pharmaceutical costs are accelerating closures among independent community pharmacies and grocers.

Small-business operators joining the announcement also pointed to federal tariffs, arguing national trade conflicts contributed to a 7.5% contraction in Las Vegas tourism that left independent hospitality venues struggling to balance payroll.

A Divided Business Front Heading into November

The split underscores a divide between Nevada’s neighborhood retail operators and the state’s traditional corporate resort establishment.

While RAN represents smaller brick-and-mortar retailers, grocery operators, and restaurant owners, Lombardo maintains the support of the Vegas Chamber, the state’s largest business association, which endorsed his reelection earlier this year.

+--------------------------------------------------------+
|             KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM ENDORSEMENT             |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  • Kitchen-Table Shift: Retailers argue working costs  |
|    are eroding profits faster than tax cuts assist     |
|  • Swipe Fee Scrutiny: Ford pledges regulatory action   |
|    on bank interchange swipe fees charged on sales     |
|  • Bipartisan Record: Ford pointed to lawsuits filed   |
|    against federal agencies to defend local business   |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

“Governor Lombardo has told us that Nevadans need to feel pain from tariffs,” Wachter said during the briefing. “When Wall Street banks make a higher profit on a meal that a local restaurant just served than the owner does, our payment system is fundamentally broken.”

Accepting the endorsement, Ford emphasized his willingness to challenge both federal directives and corporate fee structures to protect Nevada employers.

Lombardo’s campaign has pointed to private-sector job growth and corporate tax restraint as the bedrock of his economic agenda.

Source: Retail Association of Nevada Official Press Conference, Las Vegas Sun Campaign Bureau, Nevada Secretary of State Elections Division.