GOP gov claims swing-state opponent's agenda carries $18B price tag in explosive report as key midterm nears

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."

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"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 how it would be paid for."

Because Nevada has no personal income tax, significant new recurring state spending would likely require additional revenue from other taxes or fees, reductions in other spending, or some combination of the two.

Ford's healthcare agenda, according to the report, carries the largest price tag at an estimated $4.25 billion for proposals addressing medical debt and predatory healthcare practices, including $3.5 billion for a proposal to cancel medical debt.

The report estimates an extra $1.76 billion would be needed to expand healthcare affordability and access through Medicaid protections, workforce expansion and preventive care.

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Ford's K-12 education plan is estimated to cost $3.68 billion alone, including raising Nevada's per-pupil funding to the national average, expanding pre-K, providing universal school meals, and increasing pay for teachers and support staff, the report projects.

The report estimates households would receive $17.88 billion in savings and other benefits while businesses, the state and the federal government would bear nearly the same amount in costs.

Overall, according to the report, Ford's platform would cost roughly $4.9 billion for education, $4.8 billion for housing, more than $6 billion for healthcare, about $1.5 billion for energy and nearly $900 million for economic development.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ford campaign spokesperson Prerna Jagadeesh said, "General Ford won’t be lectured by a governor who proposed a budget with a $335 million unconstitutional deficit and twice broke his pledge to never raise taxes."

Jagadeesh continued, "The Lombardo campaign is embarrassing themselves and insulting the intelligence of voters by pushing this fraudulent report. The report lies about Attorney General Ford’s policies and assigns fake costs to programs that won’t cost the state a penny and will actually save taxpayers money, and incorrectly attributes costs to the state. Lombardo’s campaign rushed out this incredibly sloppy report in a desperate attempt to divert attention from a viral video of Lombardo abusing his position of power to evade consequences for breaking the law. Nevadans already know Lombardo has spent the last four years raising costs on working families and is offering no solutions to the problems they’re facing."

The Ford campaign specifically disputes several of the report's largest assumptions, arguing Lombardo's team assigned costs to implementation measures Ford never proposed. Among other examples, the campaign says the report wrongly assumes Ford would spend hundreds of millions expanding the state’s Battle Born health plans and partially replacing federal Medicaid reductions. Ford’s campaign says his platform instead calls for outreach surrounding the existing Battle Born program and federal advocacy to prevent or reverse Medicaid cuts, not new state appropriations to backfill them.

The Ford campaign also showed Fox News Digital its own fiscal analysis, arguing the platform could be implemented without raising taxes and with substantially lower direct state costs than those projected by Lombardo's campaign.

Asked about Ford's contention that the report assigns costs to implementation measures not contained in his platform, the Lombardo campaign said it estimated what it would actually take to fulfill Ford's campaign promises, arguing that regulatory changes, enforcement initiatives and expanded benefits all require staffing, oversight or funding even when those costs are not explicitly identified by the campaign.

Former Nevada state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, who previously served as chief of staff to Lombardo, told Fox News Digital that Ford's proposals would require significant tax increases, saying the level of spending "is simply not sustainable for Nevada."

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"There is no realistic way to absorb costs of that scale without significant tax increases," he said. "Regardless of political party, proposals of this magnitude deserve serious scrutiny because Nevadans expect responsible budgeting, fiscal discipline, and a clear explanation of how these promises would actually be paid for."

Nevada Democratic lawmaker Daniele Monroe-Moreno, chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, told Fox News Digital the Lombardo report "uses fake math to lie about Attorney General Ford’s policy positions" and said Ford's platform consists of "common-sense policies that will save Nevadans money at very little to no cost to the state."

The attorney general has also faced mounting questions over his spending during his tenure.

In March, state records reviewed by Fox News Digital found Ford racked up more than $410,000 in travel costs since taking office in 2019, while local outlets reported he spent more than 100 days outside Nevada. A spokesperson for the attorney general's office said the trips were tied to Ford's official duties and campaign activities and were permitted under Nevada law.

Ford is currently under investigation by the Nevada Commission on Ethics over allegations he accepted improper gifts or benefits and used his office to improperly benefit himself, according to documents obtained by local outlets.

Lombardo is seeking a second term and will face Ford in November in one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races of the midterm elections.