Independents make up more than a third of the electorate, residents have voted in both a Republican governor and a Democratic controlled legislature, and the state narrowly backed President Donald Trump in 2024 after two decades of going Democrat.

Over the years, the political reality of the toss-up state drives has typically driven moderates into the governor’s office. If he wins, Ford would be one of the exceptions.

The Democratic attorney general has maintained his alliance with leading left-wing figures in the legal and civil rights spheres, such as attorney Ben Crump, Rev. Al Sharpton, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who hold progressive positions on policing, racism, and more. And in recent months, Ford has continued to embrace policies viewed as controversial by a significant chunk of the electorate, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

Crump is the attorney who caught the nation’s eye as he represented George Floyd’s family after the black man died while in police custody five years ago. The death, which galvanized the Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movements, propelled Crump into becoming a driving force behind conversations about perceived systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S. In recent years, the attorney, who has law offices in Nevada, has suggested he believes that America is a “racist nation“;  that there is an ongoing “legalized genocide” by law enforcement against minorities; and that $14 trillion in reparations should go to the descendants of slaves. 

Crump has also emerged as a critical supporter of Ford, even holding a fundraiser for the gubernatorial candidate in September, just weeks after the attorney general announced his bid for the governor’s mansion. The same day as the fundraiser, Ford spoke on a panel with Crump about the “State of Democracy” at Shades of Mass’ fourth annual conference.

Earlier this year, Crump and Ford also spoke at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Months later, the two men posed together at the National Bar Association’s conference in Chicago. 

James, who has expressed a worldview similar to Crump that emphasizes race and conveyed sweeping skepticism in the justice system and law enforcement, has also stood by Ford’s side, holding a fundraiser for the gubernatorial candidate in July. Like Crump, James is known for pushing arguments that U.S. institutions are plagued with systemic racism and riddled with inequalities. 

Ford’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whether he believes U.S. institutions are systemically racist, if he would support delivering reparations to Nevadans who are slave descendants, and what law enforcement policies he would pursue if he wins the election. 

The Republican Governors Association blasted Ford’s campaign in a statement. 

“The fact that Aaron Ford is far more interested in jetting off around the country with woke, weak-on-crime friends like Ben Crump and Letitia James than protecting Nevada families tells Nevadans exactly what his priorities would be as governor,” spokesman Kollin Crompton told the Washington Examiner. “There’s no doubt that Ford has been trying to copy their weak on crime records that protect criminals over law-abiding citizens, and this simply proves the point.” 

House Dems have introduced a $14 trillion resolution for reparations to the descendants of slaves! Our ancestors were brutally taken from their homeland to build this country, yet today our communities are the most marginalized! This country should atone for sins of the past!

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) May 20, 2023

Sharpton is another one of the left-wing figures Ford has continued to align himself with this year as he mounts a run for Nevada governor. 

In April, Ford joined James in attending Sharpton’s National Action Network’s convention, where he urged the audience to “stay woke” while defending DEI initiatives. 

“Whether it’s Costco… whether it’s Delta, whether it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers, I know I’m in the wrong city for that, but the point I’m making is these places that adamantly and continue to support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we should support because they support us,” Ford said. 

He continued defending DEI measures in another National Action Network event, also attended by James, months later. 

“Sometimes you are going to be doing things that are counter to political expediency, and right now, the diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation is counter to political expediency in so many people’s eyes,” Ford said at the Aug. 11 African American Policy Forum event. “But I’ve never run from it. Won’t run from it.” 

Ford is seeking to oust Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) from office in the 2026 election. While he holds solid ratings, Lombardo is considered to be one of the most at-risk incumbent Republican governors heading into 2026. 

The latest polling shows a close race, with Lombardo holding a narrow lead over Ford— 40% to 37%—with 23%  of voters still undecided.

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Ford has heralded the competitive dynamics in his state as an opportunity to oust Lombardo, even as he takes a gamble on alienating moderates in both parties by extending olive branches to progressive factions with overtures on race, law enforcement, and DEI. 

“One of the fascinating parts about Nevada is that it is notoriously purple,” Ford told Politico in July. “And it is not at all adverse to jettisoning an incumbent that’s not doing his job.”