Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, a Republican, unseated the incumbent governor of Nevada, Democrat Steve Sisolak. He won by about a percentage point in November.
Lombardo is a veteran. He served in the Army, the National Guard and the Army Reserve. He began his law enforcement career with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department before being elected sheriff.
He said he will repeal what he calls “soft-on-crime” laws and policies, including reduced sentences for drug traffickers and burglars.
“As your next governor, I will expand school choice and make school safety a priority,” said Lombardo.
To improve safety in public schools, Lombardo plans to work with the state legislature to repeal “restorative justice” measures. Those are ways of disciplining students while avoiding punishment, such as suspension or expulsion. Sisolak said restorative justice is a tool to get to the root of students’ behavioral issues.
Lombardo has also committed to address the affordable housing crisis.
According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there’s a shortage of nearly 80,000 available and affordable rental homes in Nevada. It deems the state the worst in the country on this issue. Lombardo’s strategy is to speed up housing development by making the licensing process more efficient and removing some land restrictions.
When it comes to the economy, Lombardo’s goal is to bring more jobs to Nevada. He plans to incentivize industries outside of gaming and tourism by rolling back regulations and setting up workforce development programs, which provide job training and other services.