Inside the machine: A look at Lombardo’s strategy to protect his veto power

Gov. Joe Lombardo has one goal this November: “to win.”

The Republican governor isn’t up for re-election this year. Instead, he’s referring to nearly a dozen legislative races in which candidates he endorsed seek to protect his veto power during the 2025 Legislature — where Democrats are just one seat away from a supermajority in both chambers.

Lombardo, a first-term governor, has taken a more active role in down-ballot races than previous governors, building a sort-of “Republican machine” not previously seen in the state’s modern history. But Lombardo wouldn’t call his efforts a “machine.”

“I’ve heard it couched as the ‘Lombardo Machine,’ in conflict with Reid Machine. However you want to describe it doesn’t matter,” he said. “We’re trying to achieve one thing: better government and to have what I believe is (a) sound Republican platform to be heard.”

All 11 of Lombardo’s endorsed candidates won their June primary races and now face Democratic candidates in November, some of whom are incumbent legislators.

The governor said he took it upon himself to “inject himself” into the election process to prevent a “nondiversified, singular power structure” that he feels doesn’t work in any government.

His efforts include vetting and endorsing those candidates, as well as fundraising, making appearances with them and helping with get-out-the-vote efforts, according to Mark Hutchison, senior adviser to the governor and his campaign.

Millions of dollars have been funneled into multiple PACs affiliated with Lombardo, which have donated to many of the governor’s backed candidates. The Better Nevada PAC, a pro-Lombardo PAC, has donated nearly $50,000 to GOP legislative candidates this quarter, according to its latest financial report. Two other pro-Lombardo PACs, the Nevada Way PAC and the Stronger Nevada PAC, also donated to the governor’s endorsed candidates.

“This is not something we’ve seen in Nevada for quite a while, if really ever,” said UNLV political science professor David Damore. “For not only just sort of being so engaged here but also willing to take sides in his own party’s primaries.”

His strategy fills a gap that has been missing from Republican campaigning for years and is an attempt to match the well-oiled and longstanding campaign coalition from state Democrats.

‘Filling a hole’

The Nevada Republican Party — headed by its longtime chairman Michael McDonald — has long focused its attention on Nevada’s role in national politics. McDonald himself has taken on a senior campaign adviser role for the Trump campaign.

After the 2022 midterms, when Nevada did not experience the “red wave” Republicans expected — with all Democratic congressional incumbents winning their races and only Republicans Lombardo, Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony and Controller Andy Matthews winning — concerns arose about Republican campaign strategy.

The governor is trying to fill in a hole left behind by the state party, Damore said.

“No one really sort of looks out for these down-ballot issues, which matter, obviously, a whole lot to the governor,” Damore said.

Lombardo, who said he does not think the Nevada Republican Party has historically performed well, made the decision to engage in the process to help bolster the party’s efforts and “better define what the Republican Party is willing to look like.”

McDonald said the state party and the governor work well together, framing the state party’s goals as “wide-reaching” and Lombardo’s as “very specific.”

“The end goal is going to be the same — to make sure that we have candidates that can win, and to make sure that we support all the candidates that come across the finish line after the primary,” said McDonald, who worked with Lombardo for years when they both served on Metro.

Different approach

McDonald, who has led the party since 2012, said Lombardo is the most involved governor he has worked with.

“We’ve never had a Republican governor since I’ve been chair that was willing to work with the party and help us out and have one goal,” he said.

Lombardo’s approach is unique from previous Republican governors, many of whom never felt the need to get involved in its party’s primaries.

Former Gov. Brian Sandoval in 2015 was able to help down-ballot Republicans because he did not have a real Democratic opponent, so he was able to use his campaign resources and time to help, Damore said.

Before Lombardo’s leadership, Assembly candidates had to band together and help each other fundraise, said Assemblyman Gregory Hafen, a Republican who has served three regular sessions representing Pahrump.

As for what makes Lombardo unique from past Republican governors, Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, R-Las Vegas, said she believes it is his background as Clark County sheriff.

“That’s a huge budget, a huge group of people that he was responsible for,” she said. “I think it’s second nature to bring the diversity of different people together, and I think that’s playing out.”

Lombardo’s involvement has proved successful, said Kasama, who dropped out of a race for Congress to help maintain Lombardo’s veto power.

“The Reid Machine and the Democrats have been very successful with it and have changed the flavor of our state because of their success with that,” Kasama said of the Democrats’ campaign strategy. “Gov, Lombardo and many of us Republicans have been certainly wanting to be successful in primaries and working together.”

Tai Sims, the Nevada State Democratic Party’s communications director, said Lombardo’s “overnight” efforts do not match the Democrats’ operation “built over decades by the late Sen. Harry Reid.”

Building a legacy?

Lombardo’s coalescing campaign effort is in its infancy, but there could be a long-term vision.

Part of the governor’s strategy is about having more success in the next legislative session in 2025, as Lombardo didn’t see much success in passing his legislation last year. But it can also be tied to his ambitions in seeking re-election in 2026, according to Damore.

“I think that there’s this sort of long-term play,” he said. “If you think about 2026, who’s going to be his opponent, right? If his popularity stays high, it’s gonna be hard for any Democrat to win.”

Some Republican legislators hope the “Republican machine” Lombardo is building continues to grow.

In Assemblyman Philip “P.K” O’Neill’s memory, Lombardo is the first Republican governor that has looked at not just what can be done during his term — or terms — but what can be established long term and something that could compete with the powerhouse of the Democrats and the lasting legacy of the late Reid.

“I actually think we finally have learned that even from the grave, he still has an operation working to promote those Democrats,” said O’Neill, who serves as the leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus. “That’s what I think Gov. Lombardo is working on. Not just his re-election in ’26 … but what is that election in ’30? Where is Nevada in 2036?”

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.