Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo Endorses Trump for President

Joe Lombardo, the then-Republican candidate for Nevada governor, speaks during a campaign rally at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nevada, on Oct. 8, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo endorsed Donald Trump on Thursday, saying he plans to caucus for the former president on Feb. 8.

Mr. Lombardo announced his endorsement in an interview with The Nevada Independent on Jan. 18. He told the outlet that he will vote “none of the above” in the state’s Feb. 6 primary, where the former president will not be on the ballot.

“I believe [under President Donald Trump] the economic picture was better, more predictable, more stable. And then if you look at foreign affairs, [it was] more predictable and more stable,” Mr. Lombardo said. “I think he has the ability to move us out of the doldrums associated with President [Joe] Biden.”

Mr. Lombardo dismissed his previous remarks about not making an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race. For “all practical purposes … the race is over,” he said, adding that he believes the former president is the best candidate available.

According to a recent Nevada poll by Emerson College, President Trump picked up 73 percent of support, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a distant second with 8 percent. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie finished third and fourth, picking up 6 percent and 4 percent respectively, but the two have dropped out of the 2024 race. Eight percent said they were undecided.

In the face of two nominating contests just two days apart, the Nevada GOP will honor the winner of the caucus with delegates. President Trump and Mr. DeSantis opted for the caucus, while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the only active major candidate in the primary.

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Currently, the governors in the four Republican early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina have all chosen to endorse a presidential candidate. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who announced her endorsement of Mr. DeSantis in November, recently said she will back President Trump if the former president becomes the GOP nominee.

President Trump won the Iowa Caucus by a landslide, capturing 51 percent of the vote.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu announced his endorsement of Ms. Haley in December. Meanwhile, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster endorsed President Trump in November 2022.

Also on Thursday, Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, a Republican, announced his endorsement of President Trump.

“I enthusiastically endorse Donald J. Trump for President. In his first term, President Trump delivered 4 years of unprecedented prosperity for all Americans, and particularly for Nevada, where we had years of record low unemployment under President Trump’s leadership,” Mr. Anthony said in a statement.

“President Trump and the America First movement will return safety and security to our communities by ending the crime wave being brought by our open borders,” Mr. Anthony added. “President Trump endorsed me when I ran in 2022, and I am proud to endorse him in 2024.”

Mr. Anthony said he will be caucusing for the former president on Feb. 8 and vote “none of these candidates” in the state-run primary. “I encourage all voters to do the same and take the next step towards returning our great country to stability and prosperity,” he concluded.

President Trump endorsed Mr. Lombardo for Nevada governor in 2022, who ousted then-incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolack, a Democrat.

In the past week, the former president picked up several endorsements, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), North Dakota Gov. Dough Burgum, and Mr. Ramaswamy.

In a new national poll from Messenger/Harris, President Trump picked up 46 percent of support from independent voters, holding an 11-point lead over President Biden. 20 percent said they were undecided.

In a head-to-head hypothetical matchup, President Trump came out on top against President Biden, 46 percent to 42 percent, with 12 percent undecided.

The poll surveyed 1,045 registered voters from Jan. 16 to Jan. 17.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.