FIRST ON FOX: Nevada Gov.Joe Lombardo’s campaign estimates that Democratic rival Aaron Ford’s policy agenda would generate $18.1 billion in government and private-sector costs — burdening residents over four years — including nearly $8 billion in projected Nevada state spending — calculations Ford’s campaign sharply disputes.The Lombardo campaign report assigns estimated costs to 76 Ford proposals, combining projected Nevada spending with costs it says would be borne by businesses and the federal government that ultimately fall to the taxpayers and the public.
Ford’s campaign argues the analysis invents implementation plans Ford never proposed and misclassifies some federal and private costs as consequences of his platform.The analysis projects $7.93 billion in direct state spending over a four-year term.Lombardo’s campaign argues Nevada could not absorb spending on that scale without higher taxes, new fees or cuts elsewhere, while Ford’s campaign says many of the projected expenses would not require new state appropriations.In a statement to Fox News Digital, University of Nevada, Reno professor Mark Pingle backed the report's findings, saying, "Based on a review of Aaron Ford's policy proposals, an estimated cost of $18 billion is a reasonable assessment."DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS, BUT HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THEM?Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford smiles during his governor campaign kick-off event at the East Las Vegas Community Center on Monday, July 28, 2025, in Las Vegas.
(Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal)"The bottom line is simple: these proposals would require a record-breaking increase in spending.Before moving forward with a plan this expensive, Nevadans deserve clear answers about how it would be paid for, who would bear the cost, and what it would mean for the state's long-term financial stability.
Regardless of political party, $18 billion in new spending deserves careful review and an explanation of ho...