Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo's campaign has released a report estimating that Democratic challenger Aaron Ford's policy agenda would incur $18.1 billion in costs over four years, including nearly $8 billion in projected state spending. The report, which assigns estimated costs to 76 of Ford's proposals, combines projected Nevada state spending with costs attributed to businesses and the federal government that the governor's campaign argues ultimately fall to taxpayers.
According to the Lombardo campaign's analysis, Ford's proposals could necessitate significant tax increases, new fees, or reductions in other state services due to the scale of projected spending. A professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, Mark Pingle, stated that an estimated cost of $18 billion is a reasonable assessment based on a review of Ford's policy proposals. Pingle added that such a large increase in spending warrants careful review and clear explanations regarding its funding and impact on the state's long-term financial stability.
Cost Breakdown of Ford's Agenda
The report highlights specific areas within Ford's agenda with substantial estimated costs. His healthcare proposals, aimed at addressing medical debt and predatory practices, are estimated to cost $4.25 billion, with $3.5 billion allocated to a medical debt cancellation proposal. Expanding healthcare affordability and access through Medicaid protections, workforce expansion, and preventive care is projected to cost an additional $1.76 billion.
Ford's K-12 education plan is estimated at $3.68 billion. This includes proposals to raise Nevada's per-pupil funding to the national average, expand pre-kindergarten programs, provide universal school meals, and increase compensation for teachers and support staff.
The report further estimates that overall, Ford's platform would allocate approximately $4.9 billion for education, $4.8 billion for housing, over $6 billion for healthcare, about $1.5 billion for energy, and nearly $900 million for economic development. The analysis projects that while households might see $17.88 billion in savings and benefits, businesses, the state, and the federal government would bear nearly the same amount in costs.
Campaign Rebuttals and Disputed Figures
Spokespersons for the Ford campaign have sharply disputed the report's findings, calling the analysis "fraudulent" and "incredibly sloppy." Prerna Jagadeesh, a spokesperson for Ford, argued that the report mischaracterizes Ford's policies, assigns costs to proposed measures that Ford has not advocated for, and incorrectly classifies some federal and private costs as direct consequences of his platform. The campaign contends that many projected expenses would not require new state appropriations and that Ford's platform could be implemented without tax increases and with substantially lower direct state costs.
Ford's campaign specifically challenges the report's assumptions regarding medical debt cancellation and healthcare access, stating that Ford's proposals focus on outreach for existing programs and federal advocacy rather than new state funding to backfill potential Medicaid reductions. The campaign also pointed to Governor Lombardo's past budget deficit and tax increases as a point of criticism.
In response to the Ford campaign's claims that the report assigns costs to measures not contained in his platform, the Lombardo campaign stated that its estimates reflect the actual resources required to implement Ford's promises, including staffing, oversight, or funding for regulatory changes, enforcement initiatives, and expanded benefits, even if not explicitly stated by Ford.
Former Nevada state Senator Ben Kieckhefer, who previously served as chief of staff to Lombardo, maintained that Ford's proposals would necessitate significant tax increases, deeming the level of spending "simply not sustainable for Nevada."
Democratic lawmaker Daniele Monroe-Moreno, chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, criticized the Lombardo report as using "fake math to lie about Attorney General Ford’s policy positions," asserting that Ford's platform consists of "common-sense policies that will save Nevadans money at very little to no cost to the state."
The contest between Governor Lombardo and Attorney General Ford is a closely watched gubernatorial race in the upcoming November elections. Ford has also faced scrutiny regarding his office's spending on travel and an ongoing ethics investigation.