LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Retail Association of Nevada on Monday endorsed Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford for governor, saying he'll be better for retail businesses.
WATCH | Senior political reporter Steve Sebelius talked with the group about why they're backing Ford:
Gov. Joe Lombardo's campaign replied that it has endorsements from the Latin, Asian and Vegas chambers of commerce, and that he's created 100,000 new jobs since he won office in 2022.
Bryan Wachter, president of the Nevada Retail Association, said the group doesn't always endorse in races. He said the last Democrat to win an endorsement was Bob Miller, who left office in 1999.
But he said the group's analysis showed Ford would be better for retail businesses.
"The governor's office is going to set the tone for the entire state, for every political subdivision that there is," he said. "And so we want to make sure that the person who is setting those policies is doing so with small businesses in mind, with retailers in mind and making sure that we're making the best possible choices that we're making going forward. And when we looked hard at the policies of the last four years and the policies that we're looking forward to in the next four years, we believe that the attorney general is the best one for that."
The announcement came at the Firefly restaurant in the Howard Hughes Center at Paradise and Flamingo roads. Owner John Simmons told Channel 13 that tariffs have raised his costs and slowed his business to the point that he's had to let employees go, including managers.
"Firstly, these tariffs are insane," he said. "Again, they're hitting us from all directions. Our prices are higher, prices for consumers are higher, and then the countries that we're putting the tariffs on are not coming to Las Vegas."
Simmons said he's had another slow summer, and encouraged President Donald Trump to end the tariffs to give small business some relief.
"Just lay off, President Trump," Simmons added. "Take it easy. Take a breath. Work it out. Don't be in attack mode, especially with ... these are our neighbors and our allies. Europe, Mexico, Canada. Those are the three biggest sources of international tourism."
For his part, Ford criticized Lombardo for vetoing bills that would have lowered drug costs, provided free school meals to all students and prohibited corporations from buying homes and driving up the costs. He said Lombardo should stand up to Trump and tell him the tariffs are hurting businesses in the state.
Asked by Channel 13 if it is realistic to expect a Republican governor to take on a president of his own party who is known to punish dissenters, Ford said he'd sued the Joe Biden administration as attorney general.
"They should stand up for those who put them in office," Ford said. "They invested their votes in us. We should reinvest in them by being willing to stand up and fight for them. Governor Joe Lombardo should grow a backbone and not be a doormat for Donald Trump."
In response, the Lombardo campaign released a statement that reads, "Governor Lombardo has been independently endorsed by the Latin Chamber, Vegas Chamber and Asian Chamber of Commerce, organizations that represent thousands of businesses across Nevada's diverse communities and industries.
"Governor Lombardo's record speaks for itself: he's created 100,000 new jobs, generated over $6 billion in new private economic investment, lowered taxes, and eliminated or streamlined over 900 burdensome regulations. Nevada's business community is firmly behind Governor Lombardo."
Ironically, it was a proposed business regulation that contributed to the retail association's decision to back Ford. The state Pharmacy Board has proposed a regulation that would limit pharmacists to filling just 250 prescriptions per day, which Wachter said could lead to some pharmacies closing.
"It certainly played a role," Wachter said of the regulation. "When you have the governor who is running on the idea that he has canceled or rescinded so many of these anti-business regulations that are increasing the cost of doing business and making things more difficult for Nevadans, and then to find out that he's pushing something that is not only going to affect health care but start affecting where we buy our groceries and whether people, they can access their medication, that's a huge red flag."
