Lombardo confirms he’s weighing a run for governor
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Thursday he is considering a run for governor of Nevada, but he hasn’t made a decision on whether he will pursue the highest elected office in the state.
“I’m kicking the tires,” Lombardo said. “I’m thinking about what my future looks like. I’m in my final year of my second term as sheriff. There is no term limit for sheriff. I’m contemplating what my future is going to look like.”
Lombardo said that if he did run, it would be as a Republican.
“I think it is important for people to know that I am committed to the sheriff’s job,” he said. “That is what I was elected to do.”
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Lombardo is one of three current or former elected officials widely considered to be weighing a run in the Republican primary, along with Rep. Mark Amodei and former Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison.
In an interview with the Review-Journal last week, Amodei said he had spoken with Lombardo about the race. The consensus among local Republican political operatives is that the trio is working to reach an agreement on a single candidate to support by the beginning of summer.
“The objective is to put the strongest candidate forward,” Amodei said. “Lombardo has won two races in Clark County, though they were nonpartisan, and (has) some name identification. I’ve never lost a county in six straight election victories.”
Both Amodei and Lombardo are up for re-election in 2022.
North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee officially switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican party this week after years of rumors and speculation that he would do so. Lee is also rumored to be considering a gubernatorial bid.
“I’m flattered, but at this point, I’m still focused on some big projects in North Las Vegas, and I don’t want to be distracted,” Lee told the Review-Journal last week when asked about the rumor.
Candidacy declaration forms for non-judicial statewide office are not collected until March, but potential office seekers run the risk of falling behind in fundraising and public outreach if they announce too late.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter. Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.