Nevada’s top cop wins Dem primary, takes on Gov Lombardo

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford defeated Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill in Tuesday's Democratic primary, advancing to a showdown with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo in one of the nation's most competitive governor's races.

Ford entered the race as the Democratic frontrunner in a field that included Hill, Sunshine Arterburn, Miqehl Bayfield, Emile Bouari and James Cooper. Before becoming Nevada's first Black attorney general, he served in the Nevada Legislature, where he led the chamber as majority leader.

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Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford speaks about 2024 election security at the Clark County Election Department in North Las Vegas on Jan. 10, 2024. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service)

Housing affordability emerged as a key issue in Ford's campaign, with Ford pledging to lower costs and expand access to housing, according to his campaign website.

Ford's primary victory comes as the two-term attorney general faces growing criticism over his extensive travel record.

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Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo secured the Republican nomination for a second term. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

State records reviewed by Fox News Digital in March found Ford accumulated more than $410,000 in travel costs since taking office in 2019, while local outlets have reported he spent more than 100 days outside Nevada during his tenure.

A spokesperson for the attorney general's office defended the travel, saying the trips were tied to Ford's official duties and campaign activities, including coordinating with law enforcement agencies across the country, and were permitted under Nevada law.

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Then-Democratic Nevada Senate Majority Leader Aaron D. Ford speaks during a get-out-the-vote rally featuring former President Barack Obama at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Oct. 22, 2018. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Ford is also under investigation by the Nevada Commission on Ethics over whether he solicited improper gifts or used his office to improperly benefit himself, according to documents recovered by local outlets.

Nevada's gubernatorial race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm elections as Democrats attempt to reclaim control of the governor's office in the Silver State.

Lombardo, who defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in 2022, is seeking a second term and will face the Democratic nominee in November.

Fox News Digital's Leo Briceno contributed to this report.