Joe Lombardo, Nevada’s Republican governor, is doing just about everything he can to stop Democrats from gaining the ability to sharply curtail his power this November.
Everything, except bear-hugging former President Donald J. Trump.
For Democrats, veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the State Legislature are tantalizingly close, raising the stakes of the election far beyond just the presidential and U.S. Senate contests. The party is defending a 28-seat supermajority in the State Assembly and needs to flip just one seat in the State Senate to achieve a supermajority there, too.
To stop them, Mr. Lombardo has largely operated outside the state Republican Party, which is led by Michael McDonald, a top Trump ally. A web of independent political action committees connected to the governor has raised millions and is churning out digital ads while also funneling money directly to candidates. A nonprofit set up to raise money for his inauguration two years ago that does not have to disclose its donors has also been repurposed, and is making ads for critical legislative races.
Political observers and supporters of Mr. Lombardo say his efforts are filling a void left by a state party in dire financial straits and distracted by legal issues related to Mr. Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss in Nevada four years ago.
“Lombardo is the first governor we’ve had who has been super engaged in this process,” said Robin Titus, the Republican minority leader of the Nevada State Senate who previously served about a decade in the State Assembly. “You see how badly he wants this. We’re really grateful for his help.”
As he pours support down the ballot, the governor has largely steered clear of Mr. Trump, whom he endorsed for president early this year. Until Thursday evening, he had not appeared at a Trump rally or campaigned at an event under Mr. Trump’s banner all cycle. This has irked some Nevada Republicans, according to three of the former president’s close allies in the state, who suggest he should have been more focused on electing Mr. Trump, which would in turn lift the candidates he is trying to aid. Two of the people who expressed frustrations spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive topic in Nevada’s political circles.
