The 2022 Nevada gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Nevada. Incumbent Democratic governor Steve Sisolak ran for re-election to a second term, but lost in the general election to Republican Joe Lombardo, the Clark County Sheriff. This was the first time since 1966 that an incumbent Democratic governor lost reelection in Nevada.
Sisolak was the first Democrat to seek re-election to Nevada's governorship since Bob Miller in 1994, and was subsequently the only incumbent governor in the United States to lose re-election in 2022. Decision Desk HQ called the race for Lombardo on November 11.
Significantly, Lombardo's win marked the first time in the state's history that anyone had won the governorship without winning either Clark or Washoe counties, home to a combined 89% of the state's population. This was largely due to Lombardo's stronger performance in Clark, his home county; Sisolak's previous opponent, Adam Laxalt, lost the county by 13.3% there, while Lombardo only lost by 5.7%, a significant gain.
Political analysts have attributed Sisolak's defeat to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic; lockdowns during the pandemic proved unpopular in Nevada, which has a tourism-driven economy and a reputation for libertarian political leanings.
Amid a slate of failed gubernatorial pickup attempts, this was the only governorship Republicans flipped in the 2022 elections, as well as the only state governorship to flip to the party that did not carry that state in the 2020 presidential election. This was also the first time since Pat Quinn's defeat in the 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election that an incumbent Democratic governor lost re-election in any state.
Graphical summary<br />
Aggregate polls<br />
Steve Sisolak vs. Joey Gilbert<br />
Steve Sisolak vs. Dean Heller<br />
Steve Sisolak vs. John Lee<br />
Steve Sisolak vs. Guy Nohra<br />
Despite losing re-election, Sisolak won three of the state's four congressional districts.
Partisan clients<br />
Official campaign websites