Nevada’s gubernatorial race remains too close to call six weeks before early voting begins, according to a poll conducted earlier this month by Emerson College Polling.
The latest poll, conducted in cooperation with KLAS-TV, showed Attorney General Aaron Ford with 44 percent support, up from 41 percent in November, and Gov. Joe Lombardo with 42 percent support, up from 41 percent in November.
The 2-point difference between the two candidates remains within the poll’s so-called “credibility interval” of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points, leaving the race a dead heat, according to Emerson Polling.
Eleven percent of voters polled said they were undecided, down from 18 percent in November, according to the poll of 680 likely voters conducted between Sept. 5 and Sept. 8. Early voting begins on Oct. 17.
“No amount of campaign cash from Trump’s billionaire friends will distract voters from the reality: under Joe Lombardo, Nevada families are paying more and struggling to find work, while Lombardo puts cheerleading for Trump over serving working families,” said Zoë Kleinfeld, Ford’s campaign manager, in a statement.
Lombardo’s campaign did not comment on the Emerson College poll, but a political action committee backing his campaign released a statement citing a poll by the Tarrance Group, which bills itself as a trusted name in Republican research and polling, that showed Lombardo leading Ford 53 percent to 47 percent.
“High-Flying Aaron Ford’s desperate campaign has stalled out while Governor Joe Lombardo continues to get bipartisan results for Nevada families,” said Lombard0-backing Better Nevada PAC spokesman John Burke. “While Ford runs to become Gavin Newsom’s puppet in Nevada, Governor Lombardo is fighting for working Nevadans; that’s why he’s going to be re-elected this November.”
About half of voters questioned in the new poll said they held a favorable view of Lombardo (49 percent), with 39 percent held an unfavorable view, according to the poll.
Lombardo had a 40 percent job approval rating, with 39 percent of respondents disapproving; 21 percent of respondents said they were neutral.
Ford had a 41 percent favorable rating and a 38 percent unfavorable rating. Survey takers weren’t questioned on his job approval.
The same poll showed that 37 percent of Nevadans approve of President Donald Trump, who has a 55 percent disapproval rating.
The poll also found that 42.7 percent of those participating in the survey listed the economy — jobs, inflation and taxes — as the most important issue facing Nevada. Housing affordability was picked by 15.2 percent and health care by 10.5 percent.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
