A handful of seats now decide which party runs Congress. That makes Nevada’s close House and Senate races national targets, with outside money pouring in because one result can shift who controls the agenda in Washington.

Candidates have raised $2.66 billion for the 2026 midterms, with Democrats holding nine of the top 10 fundraising spots. In Nevada, Rep. Susie Lee leads the state with $4.4 million raised.

Nevada’s Constitution can be changed through the Legislature, by voters using a petition, or the rare use of a constitutional convention. When voters start the process, the proposal must win a majority in two consecutive general elections. This year, two such measures return to the ballot after first passing in 2024: one on abortion rights and one on voter ID.

Nevada lets the governor fill a U.S. Senate vacancy, but only with someone from the departing senator’s party who has been a member for 90 days. With two Democratic senators and a Republican governor, a vacancy now would stay in Democratic hands until the next election.

Gov. Lombardo signed an order that keeps data centers eligible for tax breaks only if they pay the school sales tax, drop the sales-and-use break, and cover their own water and power costs.

Nevada’s Attorney General race pits Republican Adriana Guzman Fralick against Democrat Nicole Cannizzaro. Term-limited and polarizing AG Aaron Ford joined Nevada in lawsuits against the Trump administration while facing criticism for sanctuary policies and skipping a federal anti-fraud roundtable. Ford’s replacement will shape Nevada’s legal direction by deciding whether to work with the federal government or fight it.

AG Ford (D) has attacked Gov. Lombardo (R) over NV Energy’s new demand charge, calling it a price hike and pledging to stop it if elected. The charge was approved by the independent PUCN, where two of three commissioners were originally appointed by a Democrat governor. Critics note a governor lacks unilateral authority to overturn the decision, and Ford has previously faced questions over misleading claims that could not be fully corroborated.

Nevada courted server farms for years. Now Ford wants to pause the tax breaks he helped pass, Lombardo still backs the boom, and cities from Reno to Pahrump are hitting the brakes.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) operates as an activist group inside the Democratic Party with no apparent effort to break away. It has influenced Nevada party leadership and run primary candidates, though those candidates lost. Nationally, DSA is more popular than ever, scoring high-profile wins such as Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race and several DSA-backed candidates defeating establishment Democrats in congressional primaries.

Nevada’s election laws give established minor parties like the Independent American Party and Libertarian a streamlined path to the ballot. Unaffiliated independents, including 2026 gubernatorial candidate Danielle Ford, must gather signatures. Some skeptics question whether partisanship in the Nevada Secretary of State’s office could complicate Ford’s petition process.