By Mark Robison, Reno Gazette Journal, July 21, 2025
Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill confirmed she’s running for Nevada governor in 2026.
Hill told the RGJ on July 21 that rumors of her candidacy are true and that any further comment would need to wait until a formal campaign announcement sometime before the end of August.
“My announcement will have my specific, concrete plans to help hardworking families in Nevada,” said Hill, a Democrat.
This will be her first run for statewide office.
Hill will need to defeat Attorney General Aaron Ford in the June 2026 Democratic primary for the opportunity to face the Republican nominee in the general election.
The Republican frontrunner is Gov. Joe Lombardo, whose only formal primary opponent so far is longshot challenger Irina Hansen from Las Vegas.
Hill defeated Republican incumbent Marsha Berkbigler, 55% to 45%, in 2020 to represent Washoe County’s District 1. She defeated Berkbigler again in 2024, 57% to 43%.
Before that, Hill worked at the city of Reno as arts, culture and events manager.More: Donors tell Wes Duncan they want money back after he announces for DA race
Candidates do not formally file to run for the next election until March 2026, but many have already started fundraising.
Hill’s latest campaign finance filing shows a balance of $110,000 while Ford’s shows $440,000 and Lombardo’s $5.5 million.
Nicole Cannizzaro running for attorney general
Hill will face a strong primary challenge because of Ford’s statewide name recognition as attorney general and, before that, state senator. Ford has served two terms as attorney general and can’t run again because of term limits.
The race to replace Ford features two powerhouse Democrats: current Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine and state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, who announced her run last week.
Cannizzaro received endorsements from Washoe County elected officials, including School Board President Beth Smith and state Sens. Angie Taylor and Skip Daly.
The winner of the Democratic primary for attorney general will face the Republican winner in the 2026 general election. So far the only Republican to announce their candidacy for attorney general is Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian.
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to [email protected] or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.