Teachers Union Stuns Democrats, Endorses Republican In Highly Anticipated Race

The Clark County Education Association, Nevada’s largest teachers union, is throwing its support behind Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo for re-election.

The endorsement, announced Monday, marks a clear break from 2022, when the union refused to back either Lombardo or then-Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, even after supporting Sisolak four years earlier.

The decision represents a major political blow for Democrats in the state and shows how far the union has drifted from party lines. The same group that once endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024 and Bernie Sanders in 2020 is now lining up behind a Republican governor.

In a statement, the CCEA said it based its decision on recent legislation that boosted per-pupil funding, raised teacher pay, and improved accountability. The union credited Lombardo for helping push those priorities through the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo.

During the 2023 session, Lombardo worked with the union on AB330, a measure that made it easier for schools to discipline students by scaling back parts of a 2019 “restorative justice” law.

“His leadership has helped pave the way to ensure all students have an opportunity to receive a quality education in Nevada,” said CCEA President Marie Neisess. “Working with CCEA has been a true partnership and he has earned election for a second term in 2026.”

The move puts CCEA at odds with another major teachers union, the Nevada State Education Association, which endorsed Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. The NSEA praised Ford’s record of challenging former President Donald Trump, who recently gave Lombardo his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

CCEA split from NSEA in 2018 and now represents most of Clark County’s teachers, giving its endorsement significant weight in Nevada’s 2026 governor’s race.

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