LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A year before the 2026 election, the Clark County Education Association gave its endorsement to incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombado for re-election.
Lombardo had fulfilled a promise to put more funding into schools — more than $2 billion, a record-setting increase in education funding.
He also took steps to ensure schools were safer and that accountability was a part of reading programs in coming years.
But on Tuesday, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford easily won the race, 51.6% to Lombardo's 44%.
WATCH | Union boss has no regrets about endorsing Lombardo over Ford
The association's executive director, John Vellardita, said Monday he's not having second thoughts or apologizing for the union's stance.
"No regrets whatsoever," he said in an interview with Channel 13.
"Look, we have a philosophy here. We work with anybody who works with us. We're bipartisan, and actually, if you look at the secretary of state's [contribution and expense] reports, you'll find that we gave more money to the Democrats than we did to the Republicans."
But not one particular Democrat, one who himself is a former math teacher and who will now wield tremendous power and influence over the agenda in Carson City for at least the next four years.
The union's approach to endorsements has always defied partisan lines.
In 2018, the union backed Democrat Steve Sisolak in the primary over former Clark County Education Association member Chris Giunchigliani, who was the more liberal candidate. But four years later, in 2022, it sat out the general election, endorsing neither Sisolak nor Lombardo, who eventually won.
Lombardo turned out to be more aligned with the union than even some Democrats.
Vellardita said the union's approach is "transactional," and that if it were to abandon candidates who had helped accomplish its goals, then union backing would become meaningless.
"It's business. Politics is business, right?" he said. "Bottom line, though, is we stuck with somebody that delivered big time. That's the lesson out of that.
"When politicians cannot have confidence that when they get an endorsement from [CCEA], two things have to happen: they've got to deliver, and we've got to deliver. And if they don't have confidence in that, that breaks up that relationship. Our endorsement doesn't mean anything because they can't trust what we're going to do if they run for re-election."
Asked for comment, Ford transition spokesman Tai Sims released a statement that doesn't mention Vellardita or the union at all.
"As a former public school math teacher himself, Gov.-elect Aaron Ford understands the value of well-funded public schools. That's why he has outlined a comprehensive plan to retain educators, improve student literacy, invest in vocational education and guarantees school meals," the statement reads.
"Ford has committed to not raising taxes amidst the cost-of-living crisis Nevadans are facing, but remains focused on increasing per-pupil funding. While President Donald Trump is hellbent on dismantling the Department of Education, which provides our schools with more than $1 billion annually, Gov.-elect Ford will work with the Legislature to ensure our students are set up for success and make investing in public schools a priority in his budget."
Vellardita says the union has a plan to raise money for schools without a new tax. The education association has been pushing an eight-point plan to allow data centers in Nevada, subject to conditions, including for the businesses to pay the portion of the state sales tax that goes to public schools.
Currently, data centers are exempt from all state sales taxes, which the union estimates has cost schools more than $350 million since the exemption was passed in 2015. State lawmakers have requested a bill that would terminate data center tax exemptions, which Vellardita said could prevent Nevada from taking advantage of data center development.
Gov. Joe Lombardo issued an executive order in September that closely tracks the education association plan, drawing praise from Vellardita but criticism from rival education unions.
Ford, for his part, has said on the campaign trail that he supports suspending all tax breaks for data centers until the program is audited to see if the policy is working as intended.
Vellardita said there is already a bill being moved by legislative leaders that would enact the union's plan, and that Nevada's economy could be helped by data centers and hurt if they're prohibited. (Ford would be able to sign or veto any bill passed by the Legislature.)
"So you want to say no, you say no, right? And that means you may not have any economic growth," he said. "What we're saying is, let's redefine the relationship with an industry who, at this very moment in the political climate, needs a partner, right? They got a bad brand. They're not popular."
He said the union has polled its plan and found that voters change their opposition to data centers when they hear about the benefits, including rules to limit the effects on the environment and to provide for job training for people who might be affected by data centers.
