Danielle Ford Runs as Nonpartisan for Nevada Governor

Danielle Ford is running for governor of Nevada as a nonpartisan candidate, joining the race with a campaign centered on overhauling public education. A former Clark County School District trustee and current state Board of Education member, Ford gathered 250 valid signatures to secure her place on the ballot.

Running Outside the Two-Party System

Ford considered running for the Legislature and seeking a major party nomination before deciding against it. She stated that she could not align with a political party because she believes the two-party system in Nevada is currently unsuccessful. Unlike Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democratic challenger Aaron Ford, Danielle Ford had to manage the signature-gathering process as an independent candidate.

Nonpartisan voters now outnumber both registered Republicans and Democrats in Nevada, driven in part by automatic voter registration at the DMV that has produced thousands of inactive voters. However, a nonpartisan candidate has never won statewide office in Nevada. Ford contends that current registration trends show a clear public appetite for third-party choices and fair elections. She pointed to her past electoral victories against establishment opponents as evidence of community trust, despite frequently facing financial disadvantages.

Campaign finance records show Danielle Ford has reported no money raised or spent in the gubernatorial race. In contrast, Aaron Ford, Lombardo, and associated outside political groups are spending millions of dollars on their respective campaigns.

Ford Links School Performance to Community Challenges

Ford defines herself as an education candidate, tying school performance directly to broader community challenges such as housing availability, hunger, illness, and transportation barriers. Rather than limiting reform to classrooms and test metrics, she advocates for addressing these societal factors simultaneously.

As governor, Ford said her immediate priority would be reclaiming local control by halting state contracts with out-of-state vendors. So the first thing I'm going to do is work on giving people the power back, and that looks like not letting corporations come in and place people in all our education boards and committees that are from different states, Ford said.

She estimates that eliminating contracts with out-of-state textbook, curriculum, software remediation, and professional development companies could free up approximately $2 billion annually. Ford proposes redirecting those funds toward hiring qualified teachers and classroom aides. She also advocates for eliminating standardized testing in favor of direct teacher-parent communication regarding student progress.

Stance on Artificial Intelligence and Infrastructure

Beyond the classroom, Ford addressed state infrastructure and development policies. She stated that Las Vegas does not require additional data centers at this time, particularly given the absence of a comprehensive state strategy regarding artificial intelligence.

No nonpartisan candidate has won statewide office in Nevada.