Joe Lombardo in 2022 NV Governor's race


On Budget & Economy: Diversify state economy beyond mining and casinos

Lombardo also said it is important to diversify the state's economy and have a tax environment conducive to bringing new companies into the state, particularly manufacturers. "You got to do a little bit more than mining and casinos," Lombardo said. "Do we have a tax environment for [new companies]? Currently, we do. I believe if what's-his-name gets re-elected, we won't."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Nov 3, 2021

On Civil Rights: For Nevadan variation of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law

Lombardo won against a true cavalry-charge of a field that included former U.S. Senator Dean Heller. Lombardo was attacked by several opponents on purely Trumpian grounds but managed to score the former president's endorsement largely by flip-flopping to his right. Most notably, he endorsed a Nevadan variation of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, and that was enough. You run as a Trumpian variation, or you don't run at all.
Source: Esquire magazine on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Jun 15, 2022

On Crime: Enact more severe penalties for violence on school grounds

Most importantly, I'm calling on the Legislature to enact more severe penalties for anyone--parents, students, teachers, and staff included--who commits a violent act on school grounds. Our state must maintain a culture that has zero-tolerance for school violence, so that we keep all individuals safe at school. Families already have enough to worry about--they shouldn't be afraid every morning when their kids leave for school.
Source: 2022 Nevada Governor campaign website JoeLombardoForNV.com Apr 20, 2022

On Crime: Sentencing reform directly related to increased crime rate

On sentencing reform, Lombardo was critical of a 2019 bill (AB236) that reduced penalties for some lower-level crimes and increased access to "diversion" programs that offer offenders treatment and services in lieu of time behind bars. "All that I do know is since sentencing has been reformed, lessening of sentences associated with particular crimes, and particular crimes of violence, the crime rate has increased," Lombardo said. "Is that directly related? Yeah, in my opinion, it is."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Crime: Supports the death penalty, as long as there's due process

Lombardo also said he "supports the death penalty, as long as there's due process."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Education: For charter schools, school choice, opportunity scholarships

Joe supports reforms like read by three that give students a better chance to succeed. He will empower parents by expanding charter schools, school choice, and opportunity scholarships. Joe believes Nevada needs to focus on job and career training not only for jobs of today but jobs to come.
Source: 2022 Nevada Governor campaign website JoeLombardoForNV.com Oct 21, 2021

On Education: Would block teaching critical race theory in schools

The 58-year-old U.S. Army veteran offered up plenty of red meat to a crowd of invited supporters, positioning himself as the law and order candidate who would block teaching critical race theory in schools, establish an "election integrity commission" and defend the Second Amendment.
Source: Reno Gazette Journal on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Jul 1, 2021

On Education: Our education system is irreparably failing & damaging kids

Instead of choosing to use their limited time and resources to prioritize school safety and education, CCSD is having students role play asking for sex and act out sexually explicit scripts. Our education system is irreparably failing and damaging our kids, and the parents who are brave enough to speak up are silenced and dismissed by the school board. Enough is enough. We have to take our state back and demand accountability in our education system for the future of our kids.
Source: 2022 Nevada Governor campaign website JoeLombardoForNV.com May 17, 2022

On Education: School choice is part of the answer to education issues

He also advocated for some degree of school choice, noting that there is limited space at schools, and said the state should expand existing resources through programs such as voucher-style education savings accounts and expansions of charter schools."[School choice] is part of the answer," Lombardo said. "I believe it's a very necessary answer, but not the only answer."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Government Reform: 2020 Election: there was probably fraud on both sides

Lombardo later told the RGJ he didn't know if the results of November's election were accurate. "I personally believe there was probably fraud on both sides. We had an environment where it was easy to commit fraud. There's no absolute perfect system, but there's no reason why you can't make (fraud) harder." There remains no credible evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, despite former President Donald Trump's claims to the contrary.
Source: Reno Gazette/L.V.Sun on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Jul 1, 2021

On Government Reform: Fewer regulations at the end of his first term than at start

Candidates also spoke about the need for creating the right regulatory environment to bring new businesses to the state, and largely homed in on eliminating regulations. Lombardo promised the crowd that by the end of his first term in office, there would be fewer regulations in place than when he started and said the first regulations he eliminates would be those related to COVID-19.
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 23, 2022

On Health Care: Denounces state public option law as BS

[On coverage]: "The governor can make that a priority," Lombardo continued, referring to Sisolak. "He said his priority is health. And he's talking about (bull----) things like the public option." Sisolak last year signed Nevada's public health care option into law. Lombardo's campaign said, "the actual benefit of this public option bill has not been made evident, and Nevadans don't deserve to suffer through the beta test for this bad public policy, which was rushed through the Legislature."
Source: KVVU Fox-5-Vegas on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Apr 27, 2022

On Health Care: Mask mandate didn't work, it was political theater

Lombardo also criticized the state's mask mandate as ineffective, saying that as head of Metro, he did not see a noticeable change in COVID infection rates among its 6,000 employees after the mandate went into place. Sisolak lifted the state's mask mandate in February, after putting it in place on July 30, 2021. "In my personal opinion, the mask didn't work. It was political theater to me."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Immigration: Got creative to get around court order on illegal immigrants

Lombardo is touting his development of an internal system to identify and report undocumented persons in Clark County after a judge in 2019 ruled that federal immigration officials violated the Fourth Amendment. After suspending the 287(g) program, Lombardo decided that he could not ignore a court order but could "get creative and improvise as Sheriff" and find other ways "of getting these violent criminals off our streets," according to his site.
Source: Las Vegas Sun on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Oct 20, 2021

On Immigration: Welcome refugees so long as they're properly vetted

He supports welcoming refugees as long as they are properly vetted. "It's very important that we ensure that bad actors are not landing on our soil and intending to create harm into the future," Lombardo said. "I don't have a lot of confidence in the current situation of Afghani refugees, and the vetting of those individuals, because we've already experienced, even in the state of Nevada, some of those individuals coming into the state and committing crimes."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Jobs: Critical of state's use of project labor agreements

Lombardo was critical of the Sisolak administration's use of project labor agreements (PLA) -- which function as agreements between building trade unions and contractors setting terms and conditions of employment -- on affordable housing projects. Led by the treasurer's office, the state has a partnership with the AFL-CIO, a large consortium of unions, and the state infrastructure bank to help fund new housing developments that include the planned use of PLAs.
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Jobs: Everyone should have equal opportunity, union or not

Lombardo said he was a proponent of unions. "I support collective bargaining. I support unionization," he said. "But the playing field has to be level. Everybody has to have equal opportunity to enter into the commerce section of the economy equally, no matter if they're union or not."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Principles & Values: Sheriff Lombardo prefers you just call him Joe

Joe Lombardo has a lot of titles. Sheriff, officer, veteran, leader, husband, and father. Soon he'll add another title: Governor.but you can just call him Joe. Joe has dedicated his life to protecting American freedoms, putting bad guys away, and keeping us safe. So whether you salute him as a veteran, appreciate his service in law enforcement, or can't wait for him to be the next Governor of Nevada.he just prefers you call him Joe.
Source: 2022 Nevada Governor campaign website JoeLombardoForNV.com Oct 21, 2021

On Principles & Values: Recognizes Biden as duly elected president

Though he did not vote for President Joe Biden, Lombardo said he recognizes Biden as the duly elected president. "The evidence was not brought forward that we could prosecute on [fraud]," he said. "Thirty-four years in law enforcement, that's what I base a lot of my decision on, is actual evidence and not anecdotal information."
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Principles & Values: Faith leaders are the backbone of our communities

The Lombardo for Governor campaign hosted its first Faith Leaders for Lombardo Breakfast at Liberty Baptist Church in Las Vegas. "During my tenure at Metro, I've worked to partner with faith leaders to make our communities safer and stronger. As I run for governor, I know how critical it is to listen to our faith leaders and learn from them: they are the backbone of our communities and their input, support, and guidance is invaluable," said Sheriff Lombardo.
Source: 2022 Nevada Governor campaign website JoeLombardoForNV.com Apr 6, 2022

On Tax Reform: There's always another way instead of raising taxes

On the mining tax increase that will funnel hundreds of millions more dollars to education, he said there was "always another way" instead of raising taxes, repeated his no-new-tax pledge. He said the state's tax structure is sound and needs time to prosper. "We don't want to make decisions on the heels of a pandemic, you know?" he said, adding later: "I personally believe there's fluff available in any government."
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Jun 30, 2021

On Tax Reform: Open to tax reform, but not increase in state revenue

Lombardo said he is open to tax reform, but not in a way that increases revenue. "What do I mean by that is: can we do a better way of doing business?" he said. "No increase in revenue -- reallocation." Lombardo said he would not be open to a property tax hike as a way to increase funding for schools but would consider reevaluating the process of how property taxes are calculated.
Source: The Nevada Independent on 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race Mar 30, 2022

On Principles & Values: 2020 election environment was easy to commit fraud

Lombardo has said the election was not stolen and that Biden was legitimately elected. However, Lombardo has also fomented doubts about the election.

In 2021, Lombardo told said that he didn't have the information necessary to say if the 2020 results were accurate, and he added that "we had an environment where it was easy to commit fraud." (There is no evidence of any widespread fraud in Nevada in 2020.) This March, Lombardo said he couldn't say whether Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske was wrong to say there was no widespread voter fraud in 2020, since there hadn't been a comprehensive audit.

In an email to CNN in July, a Lombardo campaign spokesperson said that "Joe Lombardo has been clear … he has not been presented with evidence to show that any fraud would have changed the outcome of the 2020 election." She added that, "however," Sisolak and his allies "have passed laws that make it easier for bad actors from any party to commit fraud."

Source: CNN on 2020 Election Denial in 2022 Nevada Governor race Sep 9, 2022

The above quotations are from 2022 Nevada Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
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Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023